Simplify the following

Culture defined
Culture is harder to define than nature. (In fact, one
book listed 164 different definitions of culture that
different thinkers have used!)16 The term originally
referred to a system of farming (a usage you can still
see in terms like agriculture). Then it came to refer to musical and artistic achievements, such as
paintings and symphonies. Social scientists
eventually began to use the term to refer to what a
large group of people have in common. French
culture, for example, refers to everything that French
people share: language, values, food preferences, a
style of government, a place (France), and a shared
sense of connection to the artistic and historical
achievements of other French people.
For our purposes, the important thing about culture
is that it is a kind of social system. Just as a pack of
hyenas or a school of fish is a social system, so is
France. But there are obvious differences. France is
much more complex than a pack of hyenas. It is rich
in symbols, meanings and information. There are
more different kinds of relationships among the
French people than among the hyenas. Culture is
thus an advanced way of being social. If we think of
evolution as going from simple creatures such as
plants, to solitary animals, to social animals, then
cultural animals are a further step in that same
direction.

1 answer

Simplified Definition of Culture

Culture is a complex concept that's difficult to define, with many varying interpretations. Originally, the term was linked to farming but has evolved to encompass artistic achievements, like music and art. Social scientists now use it to describe what groups of people share in common, such as language, values, food, government, and connections to their history and achievements.

Essentially, culture represents a sophisticated social system, similar to the relationships seen in animal groups, but far more intricate. For instance, France, as a cultural entity, includes diverse symbols, meanings, and relationships among its people. In the context of evolution, humans and their cultures represent an advanced stage of social development beyond simpler forms of life.