culturen

Culture is a complex system of shared beliefs, practices, languages, symbols, and material artifacts that a group uses to cope with life and transmit knowledge across generations. Cultures are learned rather than inherited; they shape how people think, act, and interpret the world.

Elements of culture include language, religion, cuisine, dress, music, art, law, social norms, and institutions such as family and education systems. These elements are categorized as material culture (tangible objects, technology, buildings) and non-material culture (values, norms, rituals, worldviews).

Cultures are transmitted through socialization, upbringing, education, media, and participation in communities. They evolve through processes such as diffusion, innovation, and contact with other cultures, leading to acculturation and sometimes hybridity.

The study of culture covers cultural diversity and the interactions between groups, including issues of identity, ethnicity, and tradition. Concepts like cultural relativism and ethnocentrism guide analysis. Globalization has increased intercultural exchange, sometimes prompting debates about multiculturalism, cultural preservation, and conflicts over values.

The plural noun culturen is used in Dutch to denote multiple cultures; in English the form is cultures. In academic writing, culture is treated as a dynamic, negotiated concept rather than a fixed set of traits.