Top 25 Significant Cultivation Elements
In the vast tapestry of human civilisation, cultures vary greatly, each with its unique characteristics. This article aims to shed light on several types of cultures, their defining features, and how they have evolved over time.
One category of cultures is the oral or unwritten ones, which primarily rely on spoken word transmission rather than formal writing systems. Examples of such cultures can be found throughout history and geography. The Incas, for instance, used a sophisticated system of knotted cords called *quipu* to record numerical data. In Christianity, before the Gospels were written, the teachings and stories of Jesus were transmitted orally [1][3]. These cultures are characterised by storytelling, recitation, memory, and communal participation, enabling the preservation of cultural knowledge [3][1].
On the other hand, written cultures possess a writing system for documenting knowledge, history, and myths. Urban or commercial cultures, for example, centre on commerce as the primary economic and social foundation. These cultures have developed formal writing systems, allowing for the recording and transmission of complex information [2].
Classifying cultures can be based on several factors, including knowledge of writing, religious paradigm, mode of production, socioeconomic order, and cultural power dynamics. For instance, agricultural or rural cultures are sedentary and rely on farming and animal husbandry, while nomadic cultures do not establish permanent roots and rely on hunting and gathering [2].
The concept of culture is complex and ambiguous, with no single criterion for definition. It refers to the traits, codes, and aspects of a social group, often an ethnic group. Within a society, there are dynamics of cultural power struggles, with hegemonic culture dominating. Subaltern, alternative, counterculture, and subculture represent cultures that either depend on, oppose, present an alternative to, or challenge the hegemonic culture [4].
Elite culture, often regarded as the "official" or "high" culture, is prioritised in educational institutions and promoted through museums, academies, universities, and cultural centres. Alternative culture presents an alternative to hegemonic culture, though it does not necessarily align with popular culture or subaltern culture, representing a completely different set of cultural values [5].
Popular culture encompasses the codes, values, customs, traditions, and artistic expressions of the general population, acquired through lived experiences within families, neighbourhoods, and peer groups. Mass culture, shaped by content disseminated through mass media such as television and the internet, blurs the lines between elite and popular culture [6].
Subculture refers to marginal cultural groups within a hegemonic culture, each developing its own system of values, codes, and patterns. Unlike countercultures, subcultures do not seek to challenge the established order [7].
Cultures can also be classified based on religious beliefs. Theistic cultures believe in the existence of one or more gods, while non-theistic cultures do not attribute spiritual authority to a specific deity [2].
This brief overview serves as a starting point for understanding the rich diversity of human cultures. Each culture, with its unique history, traditions, and values, contributes to the richness and complexity of our global society.
[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Quipu [2] https://www.britannica.com/topic/culture [3] https://www.britannica.com/topic/oral-tradition [3] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christianity/The-oral-tradition [4] https://www.britannica.com/topic/culture/The-concept-of-culture [5] https://www.britannica.com/topic/elite-culture [6] https://www.britannica.com/topic/popular-culture [7] https://www.britannica.com/topic/subculture
- Social psychology could explore the dynamics of cultural power struggles within a society, such as the competition between hegemonic culture and subaltern, alternative, counterculture, or subculture.
- Education-and-self-development may focus on teaching about the intricacies of written cultures, contrasting them with oral or unwritten ones, using examples like the Quipu in Incas' civilization or the oral tradition in early Christianity.
- Entertainment, general news, and lifestyle sectors could delve into the diverse ways cultures have evolved over time, showcasing how urban and commercial cultures rely on written languages for complex information transmission or highlighting the unique storytelling and memory-based approach of oral cultures.
