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Is there such a thing as 'culture'?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
On the 'British or not????' thread, most posters do not seem to successfully identify a 'British Culture' and because this post would then have taken it off-topic, I ask this :

We query what makes British culture .. but for that matter, what is any country's culture?

If we don't know what makes the British, 'British', what therefore makes the French 'French', Spanish 'Spanish', Italians 'Italian', Indians 'Indian' etc apart from a different language?

Is a national 'culture' a non-starter really?

Is there no such thing as 'culture' except a division of language?
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yes, because differ from the french, germans, italians, americans and every other nation on Earth in more than just language. Defining it however is another story
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Is there no such thing as 'culture' except a division of language?

    There are many things that define culture rather than just differences in language. Look at the socities values, 'norms', institutions, objects etc. If you're looking at it from an anthropological perspective, look at the processes that give certain things meaning.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I bet wikipedia can do it for you...

    "Culture or civilization, taken in its wide ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."
    Arnold, Matthew. 1869. Culture and Anarchy. New York: Macmillan. Third edition, 1882, available online.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No there is no such thing as a national culture.

    Certainly there is a culture e.g. Christian culture, or Socialism etc that may define a certain broad set of values but large nations encapture all of these.

    There is no one thing that binds me to all other British people other than the fact that we are recognised by the current govt as subject to the laws of that govt, that is it.

    You can certainly make broad inferences but only with the utmost care as they are so often misleading.

    For example I might say that the US has a culture of eating unhealthy food. That would be backed up by the fact that the US has a higher percentage of obese people than anyother country. However there are tens of millions of Americans who are eat perfectly healthily, distributed probably quite evenly across the US so saying that the US has a culture of unhealthy eating seems largely meaningless to me......
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There is a multiplicity of cultures in one nation. However, a sense of shared history, institutions, art, popular culture (TV, radio, newspapers etc) does mean that nationalities have some things in common. At home its not so obvious, but go travelling and you'll get more of a sense of it. However, what all this means to individuals is varied. It will also depend on your position in society as well.

    Its a bit complex, like.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well they have 'cafe culture' in the Continent... ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It is british to hold out your hand to shake rather than your cheek to be kissed on introduction to random strangers. Thank Fuck. I hate that with a passion, like piss off, I dunno where your lips have been!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Do you know where someone's hands have been?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    na, probably scratching their balls! It IS kinda illogical and therefore I recon it's just a cultural preferance.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Of course it's just a cultural preference.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    well, we agree than. But it IS also a personal preferance in my case becasue I don't like to be touched by strangers AT ALL, and won't even let my friends hug me. Leaning in for a kiss on the cheek is way to far into my personal bubble, whereas I can hold out my hand and stay the fuck away from people.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    well, we agree than. But it IS also a personal preferance in my case becasue I don't like to be touched by strangers AT ALL, and won't even let my friends hug me. Leaning in for a kiss on the cheek is way to far into my personal bubble, whereas I can hold out my hand and stay the fuck away from people.

    If you were brought up in a culture where kissing was the cultural norm, you'd probably be OK with it though. Things that we're brought up with usually seem "normal" to us.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    hopefully.

    holding the door open for people behind us- is this a britishism?

    clapping when it's anyone's birthday in a restaurant.

    inviting people over for cups of tea, and having a special china set for special people.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well it is for some people. However, as noted already, there are multiple cultures. Culture also changes over time.

    My gran certainly used to have "a special china set for special people.", but I don't know anyone of my generation who does.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'd recommend Watching the English by Kate Fox. It's specific to the English, so isn't a British ethnography, but it's highly amusing and addresses many points.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ha, how about, second generation british culture to aim to be a doctor or a lawyer- must be a relatively new one but I see it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    go_away wrote: »
    I'd recommend Watching the English by Kate Fox. It's specific to the English, so isn't a British ethnography, but it's highly amusing and addresses many points.

    Looks funny
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    ha, how about, second generation british culture to aim to be a doctor or a lawyer- must be a relatively new one but I see it.

    Second generation what?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I mean the children of immigrants to Britain... Like me, so my Mum came here and became British, then had me and I was born British- second generation. Made sense to me.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    I mean the children of immigrants to Britain... Like me, so my Mum came here and became British, then had me and I was born British- second generation. Made sense to me.

    Immigrants from where?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    hmmn, various. I'd say mostly non-white countries that were previously colonies.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    ha, how about, second generation british culture to aim to be a doctor or a lawyer- must be a relatively new one but I see it.

    I wouldn't necessarily say it's exclusive to British culture (despite the fact that I'm second generation and am training to be a doc - that's just because I'm a geek :p).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    hmmn, various. I'd say mostly non-white countries that were previously colonies.

    So all second generation immigrants from all former colonies, regardless of influences such as class, aim to be doctors and lawyers etc?

    Not really true, is it?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    maybe not. you didn't draw out the special tea set one quite so long though.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    maybe not. you didn't draw out the special tea set one quite so long though.

    Well I was trying to find out which immigrants you were talking about. It may be true for middle class Indian immigrants (for example), but to claim its true for everyone? Well, its just nonsense really. It completely ignores differences in culture, class, access to education, money etc.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    yeah probably, I was just looking for a more recent thing that is british, something that has come about due to changes in britain.

    rise of the mobile phone- love afairs and dumpages by text message?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    katralla wrote: »
    yeah probably, I was just looking for a more recent thing that is british, something that has come about due to changes in britain.

    The balti? Chicken korma? Jungle? Drum'n'bass? Grime? Dubstep?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    smarty pants
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Certainly curry dishes like vindaloo are absolute examples of British culture - they don't exsist anywhere else in the world, were only created for British people, and are pretty much only eaten by British people.

    ffs - ignore what I'd posted in the rest of this, got the wrong thread :grump:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jim V wrote: »
    Certainly curry dishes like vindaloo are absolute examples of British culture - they don't exsist anywhere else in the world, were only created for British people, and are pretty much only eaten by British people.

    Yeah, I already made that point. :p
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