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The Importance of Culture Essay

Decent Essays

What is culture? The definition of culture as explained by the English Anthropologist Edward B. Taylor in his work Primitive Culture: “Culture or civilization…is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and other capabilities acquired by man as a member of society.” (Atafori). In addition, culture is the habits of people and is an important part of any society. Culture ties people of a community together, gives an individual a unique identity, and serves as the founding principles of one’s life.
First, culture unites people together in a society. Further, culture gives common interests to one another in their society. For instance, Deepa Kartha emphasizes, “Culture is essential for the existence of a …show more content…

Her dad would create a drink by boiling dried orange peels in water. Additionally, she carries the tradition of her father’s drink on later. For instance, Li writes that she chooses, “nature’s provision over those orange- and pink- and purple-colored medicines” (Li 144). Therefore, the custom individualizes her from other people that do not have the same custom. Moreover, the language one person speaks sets them apart from other people of different cultures. In addition, German-American anthropologist Franz Boas studied Native American languages; Boas contends “that language was a fundamental aspect of culture” (“Franz Boas”). Because communication is essential to life and community, sharing a common tongue binds people. Therefore, numerous aspects of culture are the foundation to build a person’s identity.
Furthermore, the fundamental of one’s life comes from his or her cultural values. For instance, Encyclopedia.com suggests that “symbolic anthropology looks at how people's mental constructs guide their lives” (“Culture”). Therefore, culture sets values in a person’s mind, which leads to how that person thinks throughout life. Parenting expert Armin Brott points out that children books shape a child’s thinking into “mothers are the truer parents and that fathers play, at best, a secondary role in the home” and youngsters “believe what they hear” (Brott 287). For example, the book Mother Goose and the Sly Fox Brott explains:
Fox, a neglectful and

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