The Importance of Culture

Discussion in 'Discussion' started by Ars Nova, May 19, 2014.

  1. Ars Nova Just a ghost.

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    Is culture a word that holds any weight to you? What images does it bring to mind? Do you think of countries or peoples? Or do you think of social groups, people who come together to find common ground? What does culture do for you—or, if you feel you have none, what would you want from it?

    When I think of culture, I think of tradition and heritage. Belief systems, musical styles, rituals, parables, even sayings and day-to-day superstitions, that accumulate over time and many generations. Things that give people a sense of family and unity. And I feel like I'm lacking in that. My relationship with my family is all right, but it's not spectacular. And I never felt like I had a whole lot in common with people. My folks and I moved around a bit, and I was always transferring between schools, leaving whole social groups behind. I was missing something to keep me grounded. I've sort of found it on the net, but not to a huge extent; even here, sometimes I still feel like a stranger. But I will say this: There are people I've met here who I feel would never judge me harshly, would always try to find common ground and make me feel like I belong, and that means a lot.
     
  2. Te Deum Hollow Bastion Committee

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    And most of us (more hopefully, all of us) never will.

    When I think culture, I think of a mindset. Not so much a hivemind, but a shared vision that can be built over time, or come together all in a series of smaller events. Internet culture, per se, is a true culture, although most sociologists and anthropologists would have you believe the contrary. Our "culture", our group that we've established on a forum for a game for children under the age of 12 is more closely knit than, say, a clique including a few girls that go to the same high school. We understand each other more, we can relate.

    I think that is what makes a culture: the ability to relate to one another in a foreign space; a culture should survive all mediums.
     
  3. Peace and War Bianca, you minx!

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    Culture holds weight to any of us, it's unavoidable, not only because it's always there, but because of the innate human desire to be a part of it, or failing that, make it.
    I think of everything, modern and ancient, language and architecture, East and West. I remember the African tribes who live purer life on white plains under blue skies. Of the American Gold Rush in the unknown Yukon, Alaskan snow and deadly beasts as man struggles for riches. Of Chernobyl and its ghost town when it was lost to radiation meltdowns and the animals walked the streets. All of this because I've been reading, watching or playing something based around such things. Which is part of it right? We make words that speak of our histories, our achievements, our feelings and failures. We are shaped by our cultures, our creeds, our ways of viewing this existence. And sometimes we think we're rejecting it, rebelling from it by being individuals, but that's the beauty of culture, it evolves, it never becomes stagnant or weak and is created anew. It can die, but it is a phoenix, where in the ashes new things rise after its death.
    Culture is what makes us human. It makes us a part of something bigger than ourselves. It bridges the gap.
     
  4. Ienzo ((̲̅ ̲̅(̲̅C̲̅r̲̅a̲̅y̲̅o̲̅l̲̲̅̅a̲̅( ̲̅̅((>

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    I love culture and I love how there are so many differences that we don't even realise and I would love to be able to experience as many different ones as possible. Even Northern British culture differs from the Southern and it's all very fascinating. I think it's one of the reasons I have been so eager to move away from home to go to university and why Cardiff and Edinburgh especially were at the top of my list, I love England but I want to experience new things and although Scotland and Wales aren't overly different from England, we have our differences and I would like to explore that.

    However, I tend to think the culture I belong to is a "British" culture, I may be english but I will always describe myself as British. I think the British culture has evolved over the years and it revels on the fact that our island is so small and yet, at one time, the throne headed an Empire that spanned far across the whole world. Perhaps we are a proud nation, I don't know but that has changed now and our culture is one of stiff upper lips, queuing and offerings of tea and discussions of weather. I think it takes an foreign person to see the differences.

    Our culture shapes us, we can't get away from it, it will leak in one way or another but it's mostly from our parents influences and if they tried to remove their child from culture then they would create their own culture regardless. I believe it helps define us as people and as separate nations.