American Culture

[Quiddity]

What is it?
Is it important to have culture?

 

[PetShopBoy88]

What is it?
Is it important to have culture?

I don't think culture is important at all. I think it's a sham to keep people down. You have to "preserve their culture" which essentially means keeping them in third world states.

American culture... Rugged individualism, perhaps? That's about the only "cultural aspect" I can think of.

 

[egroen]

I don't think culture is important at all. I think it's a sham to keep people down. You have to "preserve their culture" which essentially means keeping them in third world states.

Wow. I mean WOW!

We strive very hard to maintain and celebrate our persian culture; and a family of doctors, lawyers and other american success stories beg to differ with your assessment

-Erin

 

[Sunstone]

What is it?
Is it important to have culture?

To an anthropologist, culture is any learned behavior passed down from one generation to the next. So, for instance, the fact that American farmers typically plow their fields using tractors is a cultural behavior since it's a learned behavior that was passed down from one generation to the next.

If you go by the anthropological definition of culture, then culture is crucial to humans. Unlike many other animals, we at the very least depend on our cultural behaviors for survival.

 

[PureX]

"Culture" is the collective definition of who we are. It doesn't get much more important than that.

 

[Green Gaia]

Asking if culture is important is like asking if air is important. It's hugely important to humans and their societies. In fact it's vital to the continuance of ideals and knowledge. If you have a group of humans together they will have a culture. Culture is how anthropologists define everything that we learn from each other, everything that is passed down, as Sunstone mentioned, everything that we do. It's not just one thing, but the totality of the group you are studying.

 

[Capt. Haddock]

Bacteria is the only culture some people have.

 

[Quiddity]

There seems to be a consensus of it's importance. So, anybody else wish to take a stab on what American Culture exactly is?

Is it eating hot dogs and beer in a baseball game?

 

[Capt. Haddock]

Go live in another country for a few years and then you'll know what it is.

It's all the things you miss plus all the things that remind you of home.

I don't think there is one American culture, there are many.

 

[egroen]

Is it eating hot dogs and beer in a baseball game?

To a degree, yes! And there is nothing wrong with that.

The 'Mom's apple pie, go to a baseball game, every opinion counts, individualism, do it yourself attitude' is definitely a large part of american culture.

-Erin

 

[Green Gaia]

*Drags out old notes from Anthro 101*

Culture can be divided into the following components:

• Material Culture
• Social structures
• Beliefs and Values
  
• Arts
• Language
• Norms
  

Material culture:

• homes
• tools
• transportation
• clothes
• cities
• furniture

Social structures:

• government
• the economy
• education
• family
• religion
• tribe, clan

Beliefs and Values:

• superstitions
• religion
• science

Arts:

• music
• dance
• theater
• literature
• architecture
• painting
• sculpture

Language:

• language is a very important component of culture
• culture is LEARNED behavior
• culture is transmitted through language

Norms:

• laws
• customs
  

Some will have slightly different names for these catagories, but you get the idea. All of these things make up a culture. If you want to know what is American culture, go through and identify all this things in America. You will have a very long and diverse list.

 

[PureX]

I think this sculpture is ALL ABOUT American Culture. Not just about Michael Jackson, and the insane glorification of self-indulgence that comes with fame and money in America, but it's also about American art and culture, itself, and it's love of cheap tricks, garishness, and pointless spectacle. I think this is a really great sculture and an amazing artistic statement.

By the way, this thing is almost life size and made of porcelain. It's construction is in itself an amazing feat.

"Michael Jackson And Bubbles" - by Jeff Koons

 

[Quiddity]

Some will have slightly different names for these catagories, but you get the idea. All of these things make up a culture. If you want to know what is American culture, go through and identify all this things in America. You will have a very long and diverse list.

Looks like it.

 

[Faint]

"Michael Jackson And Bubbles" - by Jeff Koons

Yes, that's a pretty good start.

Add my avatar to the list...she also represents a large portion of our culture. For instance:

• The dichotomy of female sexual promiscuity/glorification and shame (Paris' video incident).
• Beauty over intelligence.
• Financial status lending prestige without concern over how one actually got the money in the first place.
• Reality TV (The Simple Life)
• Urban socialite attitudes versus rural America. (also The Simple Life)
• Terrible musicians getting radio play (Paris' song "The Stars Are Blind")
• California Uber Alles.
• Our fascination with celebrities and tabloid news (what's Paris up to this week?)
• Using sex to sell ______. (her modeling career).
• The Hilton empire can be said to represent the old american dream--all those business cliches...hard work, entrepreneurship, and ambition lead to success, etc.
• Hollywood and the entertainment industry (her movies and music video cameos, not to mention TV interviews, E! exclusives, talk show appearances, etc.)
• American lack of knowledge about foreign affairs (she didn't know who Tony Blair is, thought the UK has a "president").
• America's wealthy yet spoiled aristocratic status in the world.

 

[PetShopBoy88]

Yes, that's a pretty good start.

Add my avatar to the list...she also represents a large portion of our culture. For instance:

The dichotomy of female sexual promiscuity/glorification and shame (Paris' video incident).

I think our fascination with sex is about in the middle. It's bigger than, say, islamic countries, but smaller than, say, european countries.

 

[c0da]

I think our fascination with sex is about in the middle. It's bigger than, say, islamic countries, but smaller than, say, european countries.

Probably in mainland Europe. Britain, in my opinion, seems rather reserved and private about sex.

 

[Mercy Not Sacrifice]

I think our fascination with sex is about in the middle. It's bigger than, say, islamic countries, but smaller than, say, european countries.

This is off-topic, but I venture that the opposite is true: Societies that are more open about sex are less fascinated by it.

The OP, it'd take me awhile to formulate a decent answer. I'll have to piggyback on Maize's replies in the meantime.

 

[d.]

American Culture

it's what we call an oxymoron.

 

[Ody]

I but it's also about American art and culture, itself, and it's love of cheap tricks, garishness, and pointless spectacle.

I find your generalizing quite depressing actually.

 

[PetShopBoy88]

This is off-topic, but I venture that the opposite is true: Societies that are more open about sex are less fascinated by it.

That's not the opposite. That's just adding something more to my observation.