What is culture?

This is an essay that I just wrote for my Cross Cultural Communications class. The question is simply- "What is culture?"

The first time that I remember analyzing the word “culture” was when I was sixteen years old. My sister-like family friend, Danielle, had recently married a Swiss man and was trying to convince my mom to let me visit her in Switzerland for three weeks. Alone. Her convincing statement was it would be the best way to become “cultured.”

Of course, I had been using the word “culture” for years, but I had never actually stopped to think about it’s meaning. What exactly did she mean by “culture?” Danielle’s meaning of culture seemed to mean worldly, knowledgeable, and advanced.

I have somewhat internalized this definition, along with others, to create my own definition of culture. To me, culture is a way of living, thinking, and identifying yourself. It means that you are knowledgeable, respectful, and accepting of ways of living, thinking of others. You are well read, travel domestically and internationally. Your identity- based on nationality, religion, or the like- embraces your way of living and balances it with your background and identifying groups.

I believe that to be cultured is something that you should strive for and that it makes you a better person. If you are accepting others and the ways of others, you can live a better life. Hopefully, when you have experiences outside of your norm, you can take something out of that experience and mold it into your own life (therefore becoming a part of your culture). When you are continually becoming “cultured,” you continue to mentally grow.

This definition began to develop after my life changing trip to Switzerland, with detours to Austria and Italy. Not only was I able to peek into the culture of the Swiss and Europeans as a whole, but I began to embrace my own culture. After visiting Italy I began to value and accept my Italian grandmother traits and beliefs. I began to connect with her, and my mother, by learning to cook cultural food. My eyes were open and I wanted to continue embracing all that I could.  It led to my second trip abroad, this time only to Italy. Connecting with the people and I share a background with was amazing. I found that learning a different way of life made me evaluate my own life’s goals and value. I want to value family, take life slow, bond over a meal, and have a passion for life. I was able to take Italian cultural beliefs, and intertwine them into my American life. Based on these experiences, and others, I believe that I am on my way to being “cultured.”