Culture is the way of life of a given people. It entails how people behave and perceive different life issues. It includes aspects like religion, customs, language, beliefs, food among others. Probably the biggest challenge is the definition of “our.” In fact in most places there is no single “culture.” Rather, we participate in one or more subcultures.
Culture is the characteristic of group of people defined by everything such as language, religion, lifestyle etc. Different people in different societies have different culture but they also have some similarities. The culture varies in different things such as clothes, foods, religion and many others.
South Africa is a rainbow nation consisting of a diverse cultures which makes the beautiful colours of the rainbow to be very clear and representational. We must acknowledge that culture is the identity of a group of people living in specific geopgraphical location; they have their own sketch of life that dictates and influence their ways of living. Those who do not follow their culture or do some changes in that, they haven’t given any value to them because they are not following their religion.
Questions of Culture and Identity is not as straightforward as they might first appear. Perhaps the first and best place to begin addressing these issues is by acknowledging that in a country like South Africa, there is not one heritage, or an easily delineated set of distinct identities. The cultures, languages and heritages of South Africa are multiple, diverse, and dynamic.
Like ‘heritage’ and ‘identity,’ ‘culture’ is a term that causes much confusion and suffers much misuse. It is traditionally been used to refer to the ways of life of a specific group of people, including various ways of behaving, belief systems, values, customs, dress, personal decoration, social relationships, religion, symbols and codes.
Culture is the combination of spiritual and emotional features of a particular set of people. We can say that it defines the identity of a certain group of people. It includes food, dress, arts, culture, literature, language, etc. Besides this, it consists of customs and traditions that are followed and implemented by people from ancient times. Most importantly, it is something that people follow as a community and society.
Culture is transferred from one generation to another following the same customs and traditions. A person is identified from their culture and the place they belong to. It is beneficial for the social and emotional well-being of people.
It is important to understand the fact that culture brings people together, and they become closer to one another by socially interacting with each other. Interestingly, culture is something that we all share, it does not belong to a specific individual. This would include, morals, values, traditions, etc. Like leprosy, culture is capable of been transferred from one generation to another.
Culture is the most integral part of our lives, and it is inherited by living with a set of communities. Cultures are classified to be materialistic and non-materialistic. Some of the types of cultures are mentioned below:
- Art: Dance, music, painting, etc.
- Literature:Stories, drama, poetry, manuscripts, etc.
- Spiritual:Prayers, worship, belief, etc.
- Behavior: Traditions, myth, customs, etc.
Although we all live in the modern world, there are customs which we follow from the ancient times. We hold certain values which are morally rich. Most importantly, every culture has its own festivals and traditions that it celebrates and believes in. Culture is dynamically changing according to the environment. But, the essence of the traditions are still maintained. Today, all are connected and trying to adapt to each other’s culture. Have you heard about cultural diversity? It basically means respecting and living together with people from different backgrounds, traditions, languages, interests and skills.
Some of the benefits of culture are mentioned below:
- It teaches community equality, love and respect towards each other.
- It encourages art forms with a wide range of audiences.
- It treats all the culture and traditions of people equally.
- It helps to understand and exchange ideas with each other.
- It helps in respecting and appreciating other cultures.
- It allows people from different backgrounds to work together for a common goal.
- It supports people to contribute in ways that helps society to grow and flourish.
- It preserves cultural ideas and traditions.
Culture is the characteristics of a particular people or groups based on their customs, traditions, beliefs, language, etc. We need to respect and appreciate all cultures and traditions for better living.
