What is Culture

Details: Culture - EQF Level 3

Mural of two women in traditional dress Buffalo, New York
Noun Project www.thenounproject.com

No matter where you live, you are working with and establishing relationships with people--people who all have cultures.

What is culture? Here is one viewpoint.

"Culture" refers to a group or community which shares common experiences that shape the way its members understand the world. It includes groups that we are born into, such as race, national origin, gender, class, or religion. It can also include a group we join or become part of. For example, it is possible to acquire a new culture by moving to a new country or region, by a change in our economic status, or by becoming disabled. When we think of culture this broadly we realize we all belong to many cultures at once.

Culture has the ability to define a group of people. That includes things like language, cuisine, ideologies, religious beliefs, art venues and more. Culture tends to point to large groups of people within a certain geographical area.

Culture is a strong part of people's lives. It influences their views, their values, their humor, their hopes, their loyalties, and their worries and fears. So when you are working with people and building relationships with them, it helps to have some perspective and understanding of their cultures.

But as we explore culture, it's also important to remember how much we have in common. People see the world very differently, but they know what it is like to wake up in the morning and look forward to the adventures that of the day. We are all human beings. We all love deeply, want to learn, have hopes and dreams, and have experienced pain and fear.

Task

Gnome and other assorted displays at the Art Colony, an artists’ community in Eureka Spring, AR
The Noun Project www.the nounproject.com

The world is becoming increasingly diverse and includes people of many religions, languages, economic groups, and other cultural groups. It is becoming clear that in order to build communities that are successful at improving conditions and resolving problems, we need to understand and appreciate many cultures, establish relationships with people from cultures other than our own, and build strong alliances with different cultural groups.

Your task is to put together a virtual tour that will enable visitors and those new to the neighbourhood/city to experience and explore the local culture, ranging from where to eat, places of worship, museums and art galleries to local festivals. Your main objective is to show each cultural groups has unique strengths and perspectives that the larger community can benefit from.

Process

Virtual field trips: is one of the coolest developments made possible by technology. While no replacement for a real adventure, a virtual trip can let you explore a city or neighbourhood from the comfort of your home; a great option on days with bad weather, or when you need to check out a place quickly!

The first step in planning virtual field trips is to decide on your venues and activities. You can choose between self-guided tours or live-guided experiences. Typically, live video and interaction makes for a more compelling visit.

The success of virtual field trips often depends on how well the trip has been planned; the following will help you achieve in putting together a virtual tour:

Step 1: Conduct Research

Although you will know your city and neighbourhood well it is nevertheless important you conduct an in-depth research of the things you will include in your video. This is to ensure you get all the facts correct.

Step 2: Clear Objective

Every virtual field trip needs to be relevant to a specific topic. You need to have a clear aim for your virtual tour – showcase your local cultural offerings. Having a clear learning objective will ensure that the virtual field trip aids in reaching those goals.

Step 3: Design Assessments

This is crucial: you need to plan what you want to include in your virtual tour and have everything planned out so that during your recording you do not come across unexpected barriers such as restrictions on filming.

Please note you will need access to a smart phone and or 360 camera to film your virtual video.

You are encouraged to go through the resources included, in particular look through this article it lists 21 things that makes up our culture: What is City Culture

Conclusion

Each of us can build the kinds of communities we dream of. In our families, organisations, institutions, and neighborhoods, we can insist that we won't remain isolated from those who are different from ourselves. We can transform our neighborhoods, institutions, and governments into equitable, non-oppressive, and diverse communities.

We've talked about what diversity is, why it is important, how to begin envisioning our ideal diverse community, and how to set up an environment that fosters diversity.

We know people travel the world to enjoy beautiful landscapes, tourist attractions and experience local cultures. In this quest we explore what is culture and how we can promote cultural offerings in our own neighbourhoods and cities. By creating a virtual field trip, we will look at how to promote our assets and our unique selling points. We will consider the power of social media and how to tell our stories.

Evaluation

Learning Objectives

Understand that culture plays a catalytic and mobilizing role for the city's residents
Shared culture is communicated through the events of daily life, such as food, ways of dress and familiar music or art forms.
A sense of personal identity through culture is supported by shared language and ways of communicating and sometimes through a shared faith or religious backdrop to daily life.

Knowledge

How do we define Culture? How do I support creativity, interaction with others and cultural diversity in my local area?

Skills

How can I use Culture as a lever for urban development in my local area?
How to get started in building communities that encourage diversity

Attitude

Be the spark that ignites urban revitalization through artistic and cultural actions in my region
An appreciation of cultural diversity goes hand-in-hand with a just and equitable society.
Be empathic and open minded to support the disadvantaged groups in my local area