Defining
culture as an ensemble of practices, values and meanings common to a certain collective
entity, as suggested in our discussion of definitions of culture, brings about
a few theoretical as well as practical problems. To begin with, such a
definition of culture caters for an essentialist perception of culture, holding
that each and every culture has its own unique practices, values and meanings. The
main problem that arises from such a definition culture comes in the context of
intercultural interactions. A relativistic perception of culture, such as
multiculturalism, could result in negating cultural exchange and the ability of
one culture to communicate and interact with a different culture. However abounded
cultural misunderstanding are, the notion that cultures are essentially incapable
of communicating with each other is empirically invalid.
Another
definition of culture offered is that of the totality of activities and objects
through which meaning is generated and circulated in a given collective entity.
This definition of culture focuses more on the function of culture rather than
on its essence and meaning. This definition of culture stresses the fact the
culture is a social practice and a kind of collective practice. A problem that
arises with this definition of culture is that it of delineation. When we view
culture as the mechanism in which meaning is generated and circulated, what exactly
counts as part of culture and what does not? Indeed this is a very wide and
often fluid definition of culture.
In translating
definitions of culture into sociological and anthropological practice a few theoretical
tendencies for the analysis of culture can be found in late 20th and
early 21th century. Culture can be analyzed in the context of power rations and
the battle between perceptions of reality (this approach is associated with the
legacy of Karl Marx). Cultural analysis could also engage with the manner in
which meaning is constructed onto reality in a given society (the legacy of
Emile Durkheim). Another tradition that of Max Webber, is to analyze specific
worlds of meaning to show how perceiving reality in a certain manner has an
effect on social and personal behavior. Other
options for the analysis of culture are to focus on daily human interactions or
the analysis of contemporary global culture in the relations between cultures
within it.
