What is culture?

Before commencing my Occupational Therapy training I assumed that culture was one simple entity, determined by your ethnicity or nationality.

However in preparation for my study of a group of Mormons I came across numerous definitions in literature which would indicate that culture is much broader.

A few of my sources stated that it is close to impossible to make a clear and globally understood definition of culture because there are simply so many out there; and culture encompasses such a variety of aspects, such as knowledge, beliefs, customs, art and law (Monaghan & Just, 2000).

Monaghan & Just suggest culture is "ways of knowing and doing, ways that are unique to each society"; Taylor (1997) supports this notion that culture is the way life is ordered in a society.

"Culture embraces all manifestations of social behaviour of a community, the reactions of the individual as affected by the habits of the group in which he lives, and the product of human activities as determined by these habits". This quote by Franz Boas (cited in Monaghan & Just) has, I believe the most direct relevance to Occupational Therapy in describing how culture influences occupation.

Nandas & Warms (2007) highlight six characteristics of culture;

1. Made up of learned behaviours.
2. Involve symbols.
3. Are generally patterned or the different aspects of the culture are related to one another.
4. A framework for understanding is shared by members of the group.
5. Involve adaptive techniques for survival in the world.
6. Dynamic nature.

References:
Monaghan, J.; & Just, P. (2000). Social & cultural anthropology: A very short introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.

Nandas, S.; & Warms, R. L. (2007). Cultural anthropology. Belmont, C.A.: Thomson & Wadworth.

Taylor, P. (1997). Investigating culture & identity. London: Collins educational.