Culture: definition, meaning, functions

The culture, the definition of which will be considered in this article, is the link between nature and society. This relationship is provided by a person who in this case is a subject of activity, experience, knowledge and so on.

Culture: definition of a concept, its functions

The uniqueness of man lies in the fact that he is both a social and biological being. It is worth noting that his connection with nature today is much weaker than it was before. Culture, the concept of which is not known to everyone, is a means of mastering the knowledge of society. Her achievements are the achievements of all mankind and each individual individually. People are creators, in whose power to change not only society, but also nature itself.

Culture helps a person to prove that he is not only a representative of the biological species, but also a person who has his own opinion, taste, can think, create, and so on. It is a kind of "measure of a person", it reveals his spiritual world, various abilities.

The culture, the definition of which we are considering, in most cases exists in national forms. In principle, this is true, but many are convinced that some of the achievements of mankind belong to the world culture, and not to any particular nation.

National culture is a set of achievements of people of all walks of life. It includes both folk and scientific achievements. Does it have a class? In part, yes. The fact is that even the cultural achievements of one nation can be perceived by its different representatives in different ways.

The culture of any people is inextricably linked with the traditions of the past. Opposite to them is innovation. The question of the correlation of these concepts is very actual today.

Tradition is a way of preserving what was achieved earlier. It must be in a certain balance with innovation. Its predominance is unacceptable, since the result will be a conservative stagnation. What will happen if innovation becomes more prevalent? There will be cultural nihilism, which will destroy many social values. Note that the destruction of traditions often led to popular uprisings, revolutions and so on. History knows many examples.

The definition of culture is complex, as it is of several kinds. Often it is divided into mass and elite. The first is for the most part of a commercial nature, it can be observed cult of personality, primitivism of achievements, the celebration of false social values and so on.

Elitist culture is something sublime, something that is a source of pleasure for only a few. It is often difficult to understand it.

Culture, the definition of which is considered, is a phenomenon of being manifested in various functions. The main is man-making. It is also called humanistic. Culture is designed to shape a person, to develop it, to do better. We become a person by associating with the cultural values of the society in which we live.

There is also a function of transferring existing experience to new generations. Experience is exactly what helps mankind to develop. Thanks to it, the descendants implement the ideas of the fathers.

Also, the information, value, individualizing, specialized and semiotic functions are distinguished.

What is the state of the culture today? Many authoritative people unanimously assert that it is in decline, from which it is unlikely to rise. Yes, cultural values are not as sublime as before, but still there are those who appreciate its undoubtedly great achievements.