WHAT IS CULTURE?

•  Our culture is the system we use to build our identity.  All living creatures are part of a culture, even animals! So what is culture? It is the way we behave in a group. It begins with each individual family and the things we do to build connections and relationships with our other family members.  This can include routines for doing things, or traditions that are repeated on a regular basis.

• Culture is not limited to individual family groups. The real strength of culture is in larger community groups, or societies. Every society makes rules for how to act in different situations. Some of these rules are actually written down or published in some way, and some are just things that are automatically expected of all members of that society. Often, cultures can be identified by such things as what the people believe, what they choose to include in their art, what language they speak, and their customs for eating and doing certain things.

• Our cultures help us understand who we are and what we believe. There are often very strong emotions connecting us to our own society. When two different cultures disagree on things that they both feel strongly about, war is a common result. By learning more effective ways to communicate with each other, we can experience a new appreciation for the  differences that make our world such an interesting place.

 Name:__________________________________

Answer the following questions based on the reading passage. Don’t forget to go back to the passage whenever necessary to find or confirm   your answers.

1)   Tell about a tradition your family shares.

2)  Have you ever had a friend whose family has different beliefs than your own? If so, what was your reaction to the difference?

3)  What would your art tell someone about your culture?

4)  Do you speak more than one language?  What is the value of learning an additional language?

5)  How can we help prevent wars between cultures?