What is culture?
Culture plays an important role in a pluralistic society. Culture
provides an individual with the expected values, beliefs, behavior and
identity dictated by the people within that culture. It is learned,
shared and transmitted from one generation to the next through folklore,
language, rules, lifestyles, knowledge and customs. It is a product of
action related to values and ideas that help a person to organize and
interpret life. It is a set of complex behavior patterns and perceptions
learned within a community. It is dynamic and ever changing. Cultures
adapt to the environment in which they work and live. Each culture
differs in rituals and practices for particular situations. For example,
death is approached differently according to that specific culture. One
culture may celebrate death while another culture participates in
mourning rituals for a whole year.
