Online Lesson: What is Culture?

What is Culture?

Harvey's definition of culture

I personally began my own research on the concept of culture by asking various people and students about culture. I remember asking my brother, Harvey (his real name is Javier, but prefers to be called Harvey) about this concept. We were having breakfast and while I was eating my bacon and eggs and Harvey enjoying a Sunday morning Bloody Mary alcoholic drink, I dared to ask him what his thoughts were on culture even though he was a bit tipsy. My brother is also from East Los Angeles and his formal education ends with high school (Garfield High School) with a few courses here and there in community colleges. I didn't expect much of a response but I asked him merely as a conversation piece (and because it was on my mind). His response was the following:

"Culture? That's easy! You prepare the ground by softening it, preparing it for the seed. You take a seed and plant it on the ground. You give it water and fertilizers. As it grows, you prune it, check it out for bugs, and continue giving it water and nutrients. You take care of it as it grows. Then when the plants are matured they give you perfect fruits or vegetables. That's what culture means to me."

I remember this definition because my initial reaction to it was a snicker if not a hidden laughter. In my mind he was defining agriCULTURE and I simply wrote his opinion off.

Harvey's Definition and The Etymology of Culture

My research on culture continued by looking at the etymological (the derivative) definition of culture. The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology (1998) states that "Culture (n.) probably appeared in 1440 AD and borrowed from French 'culture,' which is a learned borrowing from Latin, and directly from Latin 'cultura,' meaning a tending care, or cultivation. In 1510, the figurative sense of cultivation of the mind through education appeared in the works of Sir Thomas More."

For other sources on the etymology of culture see the following link:
Etymology of Culture

I was shocked that my brother's "Bloody Mary Breakfast" definition of culture was exactly in line with the etymological dictionaries! That in fact, the metaphor of planting a seed and nuturing the plant to its maturity is an excellent core and profound definition of culture.

Other Perspectives on Culture
Many of my colleagues in education at the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) were also asked to define culture. Later, I asked fifth grade students from a local school to define culture on videotape. Please click on the link below, to watch a video recorded at South Beaver Elementary School in Flagstaff. These examples will introduce several aspects of culture from a student perspective.

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Video: South Beaver School Students Define Culture

After viewing the video, please continue with the lesson.

When I compared the nature of the responses between my colleagues and fifth grade students it seemed that the students (like Harvey) had a clearer understanding of culture than did very educated adults! My colleagues spent enormous amounts of talk and time trying to define culture. Often, they provided an initial definition, then they reject it by replacing it with a second definition, followed by another rejection and replacement of the second with a third version, and this was followed by yet another rejection and re-definition of culture. At the end, they would simply throw their hands up in the air and exclaim, 'That's a HARD question!" On the other hand, the students provided very short and precise views on culture. Perhaps this difference in responses is due to the fact that professors work from the "culture of evidence." In a conversation about our profession, Dr. Miguel Vazquez, a professor of anthropology at NAU, stated that our lectures and writings are supported by "evidence," data with which to support our comments. My colleagues were thinking out loud in situ searching within their acquired knowledge base to come up with an expected "intellectual" response based on knowledge, or evidence. In contrast, the students simply doled out their lay concepts without concern of being right or wrong, i.e., without the support of evidence or data.

It is very hard indeed to attempt to explain culture without evidence, i.e., without a clear and universal definition of this concept. While most people have a general social lay notion of this concept, educators in multicultural contexts must arrive at a precise definition of culture to develop and create a more relevant, effective and culturally responsive education. That is why I begin this course with this topic.

Go on to Online Lesson 2
or
Go back to What is Culture? Part 1