What do Cultures Have in Common? Individual cultures can vary greatly, but all cultures share some common characteristics.

is learned: We learn most of our thoughts, behaviours, and values, and we continue to learn throughout our lives. But not everything shared by a group of people is cultural. For example, we inherit physical characteristics such as hair colour, and biological characteristics such as the need for food. We may, however, learn to colour our hair or to eat the kinds of food that are popular in our culture. Culture…

is shared: If only one person has a recurring thought or repeatedly performs a certain act, this behaviour becomes a personal habit; not an aspect of culture. If a group or society thinks or acts in particular ways, those ways become a part of a culture. For instance, in North American culture it is commonly accepted that marriage involves only two people. On the other hand, if a small group of people share a cultural value or behaviour, such as a love of motorcycles or a commitment to a vegetarian diet, they may belong to a subculture. Subcultures share characteristics of the overall culture, but also have important distinctive ideas and behaviours. Some subcultures are voluntary, while others are not. For example, few homeless people really choose to belong to the subculture of homelessness. Culture…

defines nature: Culture can limit, fulfill, expand, or in other ways influence our biological needs and inherited tendencies. For instance, all people need to eat – that is “nature.” But what we eat – grasshoppers or pork, rice or potatoes – is shaped by culture, or “nurture.” All people have an innate need for the company and support of others, but how we relate to families and friends varies, depending to a great extent on culture. Culture…

shapes how we perceive and understand the world shapes how we perceive and understand the world. The northern Inuit people developed numerous ways to describe snow because these distinctions were important to their survival. Perhaps you know just as many computer commands because they are important to your school work or to your job. Culture…

has patterns. Cultures are not random collections of beliefs and behaviours. If one aspect of a culture changes, so will others. Underlying any culture are certain core values and world views that are usually taken for granted by members of that culture. Often we are not even aware of the values we hold because they seem self evident. For example, many people in Canada share core values such as progress, education, equal opportunity, democracy and technology. Such values define our culture and set it apart from others. Culture…