Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Culture - Essay Example However, it is often debated as to whether the religion is a part of the culture or culture is part of the religion. The historical roots of every religion suggest a very strong correlation between the culture and religion as most of the religious rituals are finally being shaped by the culture of the society within which the religion evolve. It is therefore because of this fact that Historian Dawson claim that "The heart of Western civilization says Historian Dawson, is its Christian culture. By this he means not the Christian religion but its impact on the social life and institutions of the West. Today that Western heart is not beating at the center of things, where it belongs, but is fluttering on the fringes, and Western civilization is sick with a bad case of secularism." (www.time.com). Thus there is very strong historical evidence as to how the religious values and culture has shaped the overall form of Christianity which is prevalent today. As defined above that culture is a set of patterns of an individual's life which portray the human activity and present a symbolic representation of that person's or group of persons' lives. In its essence, culture is a collection of values commonly practiced by a large number of people sharing a common heritage. The first definition of the word culture came in 1871 when in his book "Primitive Culture" he defined culture as "complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society" (Tylor). Culture is considered therefore as a powerful human tool necessary for the survival of the human beings but it is also considered as fragile too as cultural bondages define not only common heritage but common sentiments and emotions too. It is often believed that there are various layers of the culture also commonly known as subcultures. First layer is called the cultural traditions which effectively distinguish and specify a society from others whereas second layer of culture is called subculture which is often considered as the very own identity of the individual. The third layer of culture is called cultural universals and is considered as shared behaviors which are being used by all the humanity across all the geographical regions of the world. Cultural Difference As discussed above that culture have three different layers. This very fact clearly suggests that culture is itself diverse in nature. This diversity creates cultural differences between the various societies and within cultures even. These cultural differences can sometimes be the source of great embarrassment for people who are relatively alien to that culture or even present a great opportunity to create an environment where society can be shared by various cultures belonging to different regions etc. Since "Culture is vital because it enables its members to function one with another without the need to negotiate meaning at every moment. Culture is learned and forgotten, so despite its importance we are generally unconscious of its influence on the manner in which we perceive the world and interact within it. Culture is significant because as we work with others it both enables us and impedes us in our ability to understand and work effectively together." (Learning). Thus