What is Culture

Culture is the integrated pattern of human
behaviour that includes thoughts,
communication, actions, customs, beliefs,
values and institutions of a racial, ethnic,
religious or social group. It reflects the norms
and values of a given society and
constitutes, to a large extent, the way in
which individuals in that society views the
world.
Some of the elements of culture include:
• language;
• dress and appearance;
• food and eating habits;
• music and dance;
• time and time-consciousness;
• interpersonal relationships; and,
• beliefs and attitudes.
Some other definitions that are useful when
considering cultural difference include:
• Acculturation – the process of
adapting to or adopting a different
culture.
• Ethnic – refers to membership of a
group linked by race, nationality,
language or a common cultural
heritage.
• Race – a socially defined population
that is derived from distinguishable
physical characteristics.
• Stereotype – the notion that all people
from a given group are the same.
Some of the most common cultural
differences relate to the use of names – how
and why people are named and how they
are addressed in certain situations. An
example is placing the family name first
when addressing someone in many
collectivist cultures. Greetings such as
handshakes, interaction between men and
women, family structures, signs of respect,
attitudes to education, and body language,
also play central roles in most cultures, and
are where most common misunderstandings
occur. For example in many African and
Asian cultures, avoidance of eye contact can
indicate respect rather than discomfort or a
lack of interest.
In many cultures, it is not usual to ask
questions of teachers and service providers.
However, when issues are raised, the
expectations of both parties will often differ in
relation to acceptable outcomes and the
level of concern displayed. In fact, many
CALD students tend to rely on members of
their own community for information about
University matters.