Defining Culture

Eric Wolf (1923-1999)Born in Austria, Wolf and his Jewish family moved to the United States to escape violent anti-Semitism in Europe. He eventually took up the study of anthropology, the study of humankind, where he included history as a major part of his cultural research. He traveled to Puerto Rico to gather research of their culture. His research later took him to Mexico and Europe, where he observed peasant societies. He linked local behaviors to larger social, economic, and political forces. Besides his argument that culture needs to be studied with a global perspective, he also emphasized that culture, including non-Western people, is malleable and will form and change. His book, Europe and the People Without History, explained that as European society grew, it affects natives throughout Africa and the Americas.

Who?

Defining Culture

Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay (1846-1888)Miklouho-Maclay was a Russian explorer and culture scientist. Australia, though born in Russia, became his adopted country and Sydney the hometown of his family. He became famous as the first scientist to settle and study people who had never seen a person of white ethnicity. Miklouho-Maclay spent the major part of his life travelling and conducting research in the Middle East,and Australia.

What?

http://theculturalistweekly.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-study-culture.html

Richard D. Lewis (1930-)Richard D. Lewis is one of Britain’s famous linguists, or a scholar of language. He founded a company called Richard Lewis Communications, which educates people in language, culture, and language.He also founded the Berlitz schools in East Asia, Portugal and Finland and spent several years in Japan. Berlitz schools provides leadership training and language education. He is also a celebrated author. One of his books, When Cultures Collide, sold over 500,000 copies. He currently lectures globally on cross-cultural issues. Lewis also created theLewis Model of Cross-Cultural Communication It provides better treatment of Asian cultures, and being suited for practical usage in professional contexts. Lewis' model has received wide acceptance through his books and coaching at top levels of national government. Hismodel classifies cultural norms into “Linear-Active”, “Multi-Active” and “Re-Active”.

Why?

Anthropology-study of humansTheology-study of religionLinguistics-study of language

Culture is studied to provide appreciation and understanding to unfamiliar diversity, languages, and beliefs. In addition, culture provides a better understanding of the changing and developing world.

What is culture? Culture is the characteristics of a group of people. It can be defined by language, religion, and social interactions

Ruth Benedict (1887-1948) Benedict was one of the first women to earn international recognition for her work in culture and made large progress in her research regarding culture and personality. Benedict studied tribes in the American Southwest, which provided a base for her popular book, Patterns of Culture. She stated that understanding primal cultures could help us understand modern civilization.Benedict also worked for the U.S. Office of War Information during World War II. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword resulted her research of Japan. The book explained the Japanese culture in comparison to the United States.

Culture is the invisible bond that ties all different people together. Understanding and learning others' culture can be very benefical to you by taking their ideas or aspects of culture and enhancing yours.