The term Culture comes from the Latin word colere , it has a wide number of meanings: inhabit, cultivate, honor with adoration, protect, etc. Hence, this word is associated with the action of cultivating or practicing something, as well as the cult, both of a religious deity and of the body or spirit. Currently, man has managed to express himself through culture and although with the passage of time it has diversified a bit, the 21st century has left a great mark, a before and after in the world. The man has managed to question the system and his own actions.
What is culture
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This topic has broad meanings, however, there are two conceptions that are taken into account in different parts of the world. There is culture as an art, here it encompasses music, painting, sculpture, clothing and any type of talent, but it also exists as specific knowledge, stipulated behaviors, beliefs and even religions. The latter is based on the way of life of the people who live in a country and the way in which their attitudes towards the whole world are reflected, including their native language. There is a lot of cultural diversity in the world, so much so that it would take many years to cover all of the existing countries.
It was mentioned that the main characteristic of culture is its people, its customs, that means that it is not going to remain stagnant, on the contrary, it remains in motion, it can be defined as something with its own dynamics that, in addition, accepts the influence of other cultures to nurture, learn and adapt to new trends.
A clear example of this is the musical culture that is currently breaking barriers, from Reggaeton to Kpop, two musical genres that come from certain countries and that are now a trend in the world. This helps to know the culture of their native countries and the conception of a new way of life.
The definition that explains what culture is, mentions protection, adoration, honor and even cultivation, it is about a sense of belonging, respect for their own customs and those of the rest. You can even mention this as something elegant, transcendental and special knowledge about something specific.
The culture of a certain country is different from that of the rest of the world, while in Spain they are liberal, in China they are more modest and in Latin American countries they are a mixture of both. Everything is based on the customs and way of life of each region.
What is cultural diversity
The cultural diversity is just an appetizer of what this term really is an interesting and broad topic, as this not only is international in scope, its focus is purely national. For example, within the cultural diversity that exists in Mexico, you can find the Mixtec culture, which ended with what was the Spanish conquest in the 16th century.
Likewise, there is the Zapotec and Mesoamerican cultures, both as important as the rest of the existing cultures throughout the planet. The Aztec has been the most mentioned and remembered not only in Mexico, but also internationally.
By this it is meant that there is more than one culture in a territory, be it city, country, continent, therefore there is much to see on the planet, from languages, religions, ways of life, to even actions that individualize each person. Diversity has always been present, now it is called behavioral evolution, but in the end, it is diversity and mixing of cultures.
It can be quite liberating to learn about the activities carried out by the inhabitants of neighboring countries, for example, Brazil and Aruba, countries where their culture is remembered for the best carnivals ever created.
History of world culture
Like all science or discipline, culture has its genesis and development in the prehistoric era. It was known through anthropology that the first men followed a kind of behavioral pattern that makes them differentiate themselves from animals. As the years went by and man was adapting to changes, the behaviors and traditions of ancient civilizations met the characteristics of the concept of culture, which began as basic and that, with the passage of time, the intervention from education and the help of experts, it evolved.
Origin of the term culture
The term culture was created and finally known in Europe at the end of the 18th century and took on even more force in the 19th century. At first, it was related to crops and the improvement of life in that territory.
Little by little it covered more terrain until it reached education, where it was described as individual actions that distinguish one person from another, then each nation was adopting the term to define it according to their interests and desires, although in itself, it common was a direct reference to what is considered io is known as progress, change and cultivation, it was not difficult for the concept to evolve into what is known today.
Evolution of the term culture
During the twentieth century, anthropology took the term to refer to the attitudes and activities that people followed and that had nothing to do with genetics.
He separated the concept into a classification, the first was referring to the gift or capacity that humanity has to keep in constant evolution the symbologies with which they communicate, be more and more creative and the way in which they acted to get along with others. The second is about their beliefs, activities, attitudes and the ways of life that they adopt according to the territory, situation and time.
When the Second World War ended, the term had a very good boom, since migration and exodus from the countries of Europe made people notice the cultural contrast that existed between one and the other, not only by language, but also by gastronomy, clothing, the way they expressed themselves and the religions they followed. Even with the following wars that loomed, the international community gave more and more priority to culture and disciplines that studied it were born, these were cultural sociology and organizational psychology.
The most important cultures around the world
There is too much diversity in the world, however, there is always one activity, religion or belief that is positioned as the best known or important on the planet and this is no exception. There are regions where the culture is richer, more striking and beautiful, as well as ancient.
Antiquity will always excite people and activate that bit of curiosity that characterizes the human being. The cultural contrast between one nation and another is shocking, but that is what makes the difference between people. In this section some of the most important ones from all over the world are mentioned.
The culture of Greece
Country of the European continent known for being the cradle of philosophy, politics, Olympic games, literature and even democracy. Mathematics and its foundations were born there, in addition, the need to know the true genesis of the universe was also inspired by citizens of Greece, scholars who are famous to this day, so the territory is faithfully remembered in history.
Greek culture stands out for the architectural work of its inhabitants during the early years of that region, as well as the elaboration of ceramics, marble and stone as part of art.
The Mayan culture
This also has a lot of prominence in the world, since the construction of pyramids with iconic designs made it become one of the wonders of the world. Their culture was based on the development of methods for writing and highlighted their work in goldsmithing and metals, it is known that they were not the main creators, but they were the most advanced and influential.
The language, and customs are still studied by experts, as there is no other properly defined civilization, however, ancient texts prove their existence. One can also speak of the Olmec, Teotihuacan and even Toltec cultures, since they are all part of the history and tradition of Mexico.
Roman culture
Remembered for being the forerunner of law, in fact, the basis of this career is in Rome, the laws and all the constitutions of the world have a Roman foundation precisely because of the great contributions that it gave to law. Currently, one of the many subjects that are compulsory in that career is Roman law, which explains the beginnings of the laws, their application and the description of the politicians of that time. In addition to this, there is the Colosseum, an ancient structure that distinguishes this country from the rest and positions it as one of the most important cultural countries in the world.
Arab culture
It cannot be left out of this section and, like Mexico, it has great diversity, as there are several nations that make up the so-called Arab league, including Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. They are part of this league because everyone can speak the Arabic language even if it is not completely official in any of the aforementioned. The clothing, gastronomy and activities vary according to the territory, but in itself, dance is what most stands out to the territory, in addition, they belong to this section due to their antiquity and contributions that they have offered to everyone with their culture.
Aztec culture
He is a descendant of the Hopi group, a tribe that lived in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, these suspicions are had due to the symbolism, since both shared it according to the texts and hieroglyphs found.
The Mexican culture had conflicts with the Aztecs, but it was more for power and government than for anything else. Among the contributions that the Aztec culture gave, is the explanation of astronomy as if it were part of religion, so that their entire civilization had astronomical knowledge and that allowed them to raise the most impressive buildings.
The Egyptian culture
The Egyptians are also part of one of the oldest and most important cultures on our planet. The history that surrounds the Pharaohs and their pyramids that are currently considered wonders of the world, the wonderful hieroglyphs that allowed different people to identify and study the way in which they lived, in addition, the mummies and the history behind them… Without a doubt, Egypt is one of the most cared and important cultural territories existing. Currently the language is different, with more idioms and linguistic evolution, that is why ancient Egyptian is so coveted at an educational level.
The art of the Egyptians is still enviable, in addition, the power, the knowledge about mathematics, astrology, astronomy and even medicine are still a mystery, because according to experts, it was impossible for them to know so much about the universe.
The Egyptians are considered one of the most intelligent ancient civilizations in the world, this due to the amount of information collected from the hieroglyphs and the way in which the pyramids of Egypt and the great Sphinx were raised. Currently not only these buildings are preserved, but also the obelisks.
The japanese culture
The Japanese remain in the memory of history for their great intelligence. They have been able to develop the best machinery and equipment thanks to their technology, they survived two atomic bombs and are still considered power. Regarding their culture, it is not only the language, but the way they dressed in ancient times and the traditions that are still carried out. With regard to food, sushi and sake with the foods and drinks most sought after by tourists, in addition, internationally they can also be obtained and are extremely delicious.
Chinese culture
It is considered one of the oldest, together with the Aztec and Egyptian. China is known in many countries not only for its technology, but for the Chinese New Year, Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, and other festivities that can be quickly checked on the Chinese calendar.
The festivities ended up being more impressive, but we must also mention the inventions that made China one of the world's powers and the most important culture on our planet. The invention of gunpowder, ink, umbrellas, and ship parts left a palpable mark on history.
Indigenous culture
The Caribs, on the other hand, were a tribe that managed to conquer countries like Venezuela, Guyana, and Colombia. They are remembered for the habit of eating human flesh, it is said that they were highly conflictive indigenous people with volatile temperaments, combative, agile when fighting and willing to die giving everything of themselves. Their language caused the entire Caribbean to adopt a new language. It could be said that the inhabitants of these 3 countries are descendants of the Caribs or Caribals, as they were also known. The coasts were their home and there they remained until the moment of their extinction.
Celtic culture
This is a very ancient civilization with many myths and rumors regarding magic, goblins and magical creatures that resonate in horror or fantasy stories. Iron was their strength, they could handle it as they pleased and that is how they settled in Europe, however, years later they were conquered by the Romans and ended up adopting certain customs and languages of their own conquerors. Despite being defeated in the conquest, what characterizes them culturally in terms of magicians, sorcerers, gnomes and any entity related to the mystical did not disappear in time.
What is general culture
This refers to the knowledge about the different cultures previously explained, it is part of the history of the world, topics that no matter how old they are, must be explained and learned at an early age because, in one way or another, it has an impact on the career that anyone goes to study.
Within it are the types of cultures that must be known. The first is physical culture, it is based on bodily habits, the way the human anatomy is cared for, exercises, food, etc.
Civic culture is the sense of belonging that each citizen has for the territory in which he is born or lives, here it is more about values and morality. Politics is part of the cultural types and is very important because it talks about a democracy or the behavior that the government takes towards its people. The culture of peace refers to human rights, the value of life, mutual respect, the ability to coexist as human beings, members of the same species.
The corporate culture is like human rights, but in this case refers to the ability of business managers and all staff take the course of an institution, a company and to protect or benefit their employees. Currently it is quite difficult to find values or a good deal in this type of work in different countries of the world, however, it is still part of the culture at the work level.
Finally, there is the ecological culture and it reflects the attitude of the human being towards nature, how he cares for it, what he does to preserve it or to extend its life span. It is not difficult to get used to the idea that everything that surrounds us is part of the general culture.
Now, it is normal to have precise answers to certain questions of general culture, basic knowledge of other countries that can be known by googling directly, doing a little research or paying attention to the news.
For example, the name of the president of the United States, the number of existing primary colors, the anthem of the native country, the start and end date of the first and second world wars and all kinds of questions that have to do with politics, art, studies, etc. They are not difficult unknowns, most teach them in elementary school and that information is not forgotten.
What is a cultural heritage
It is about the native culture of the country of origin and the way in which it manages to preserve itself over the years. An example of this is the pyramids of Egypt, all 3 are formally cared for by the government and although many people from other countries can visit them, there are special conditions imposed by that same state cabinet. This is what heritage refers to, the sense of belonging that each person has with the things of their country, including their culture. Each country has an entity that is responsible for safeguarding a culturally relevant building.
The assets selected by these entities are protected and safeguarded not only for current generations, but also for the rest of the generations to come. Each property is also subjected to different evaluations according to its age, so that the materials with which it was built and their respective date are discovered.
There is an international entity in charge of protecting the oldest cultural and natural assets in the world, this is called the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture, its acronym in English is UNESCO.
An indigenous people is also considered as cultural heritage, this is because each ethnic group represents the richness of the territory, its origin, its diversity and the importance of their existence even with the passage of time and cultural evolution.
It is thanks to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples held in 2007 that even indigenous practices are protected and promoted in those same regions and explained in the country of origin and in other existing countries. On the other hand, there are the architectural heritage.
This represents the complete or ruined buildings that are part of the history of the country or of an indigenous civilization. The value of these buildings increases with the passage of time, either by history or by the way in which it was built (also applying the materials used) an example of this is the Colosseum in Rome, the Sphinx in Egypt, etc..
What is the organizational culture
It has a lot to do with business culture, it is based on administrative and business competence, it is quite practical to conceptualize as the set of habits that a certain group of people have at the corporate level. Values, beliefs and even customs can be used, only in this case it is something more organized, professional and commercial in nature.
Many say it is a type of business psychology that improves employee behavior and gives owners and managers better insight. Food, folklore and language are part of a culture, however, in organizational culture the approach is different.
The selection of personnel varies according to values, educational level, the vision they have, their habits… It is related to culture at a generic level, but aimed at the employees of a company.
