CULTURAL RICHNESS-

ACTIVITIES AND
CHARACTERISTICS THAT
DEFINE A CULTURE.
INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS CULTURE?

"Culture" is a term that describes the entire way of life shared by a group of people. Culture is considered a central
concept in anthropology, encompassing the range of phenomena that are transmitted through social learning in human
societies. Cultural universals are found in all human societies. These include expressive forms like music, dance, recreation,
religion, languages, stories and folklore, art, clothes, ornaments, architecture etc.

Culture may be broadly divided into - Material culture and non-material culture. Material culture mentions to the physical
objects, resources, and spaces that people use to define their culture these include art, architecture, clothes, ornaments etc.
Non material culture refers to the nonphysical ideas that people have about their culture including beliefs, values, rules,
stories and folklore, languages, religion, ethics, music, literature, dance, traditions etc.

Cultural richness includes diversity in anything that has to do with how people live: festivals, dance, music, art,
recreation, languages, dress, traditions.

It’s important to understand cultural richness at different scales, from individual identities to groups and societies—local,
regional, national, and global. Cultural landscapes are continually changing due to migration, globalization, and
modernization. All of these factors impact forces of cooperation and conflict among communities.
 ACTIVITIES
 DANCE

 MUSIC

 LANGUAGE

 ART

 ARCHITECTURE

 CLOTHES

 DRESS

 ORNAMENTS
 DANCE
Study of dance is an essential tool for understanding humanity. The observation and analysis
of dance in its cultural context is central to the study of cultures and a vital aspect of
exploration in cross-cultural inquiry.

A culture's values are embodied (literally and figuratively) in its dance forms, and for most
civilizations of the world, dance is one of the most important expressions of their world-
view. For example, dance—as a concentrated physical behaviour—distils both historical and
current cultural values. And movement forms illuminate and define gender, forge personal
and group identities, and reflect and define political and religious status and aesthetic values.

Some dances have a story that need to match on the theme or things that they want to
express. A folk dance is a dance developed by people that reflect the life of the people of a
certain country or region. For example: Malambo is an Argentine step dance dating from
around 1600.

"Ethnic dance" is any dance form which can be identified as originating with an ethnic
culture and expressing the movement aesthetics of that culture. It includes village folk dance,
urban popular dance (swing, tango), classic dance (Kathak, Bharat Natyam), tribal dance, tap
dance, and many more. It does not include the classic theatrical forms of ballet, jazz, and
modern dance. The primary criteria is simply identification with an ethnic culture of origin.

Cultural Dance is really important, this is our way to tell other people on what are the things
that they need to know about our culture. It is also the way that other people could have
respect, knowledge and give importance to our traditions and norms. Let other cultures tell
what are the stories behind their dance.
 MUSIC
Music is an expressive language of culture. It often tells a story, expresses emotion, or shares
ideas with a society. In many cultures, music is an important part of people's way of life, as it
plays a key role in religious rituals, rite of passage ceremonies (e.g., graduation and
marriage), social activities (e.g., dancing) and cultural activities. Music reflects the cultural
characteristics of a society. For example in America around World War Two, big band music
was used to express patriotism.

Tansen is considered as the founder of Hindustani music by many musicians.

Music is important because it is a way to celebrate cultural traditions,

connect you with people, helps you find your identity, and also helps
you learn a language. Music is a big part of every culture, it unites
people, it’s intimate, it connects people with their community and is
very diverse.
Each culture can agree that the tunes are an important part of life with expressing ourselves
as human beings. By appreciating the art form, it makes it easy to unite and relate to others
who are different than ourselves.
 STORIES
Storytelling is universal and is as ancient as humankind. Before there was writing, there was
storytelling. It occurs in every culture and from every age. It exists (and existed) to entertain,
to inform, and to promulgate cultural traditions and values. Every culture has stories to tell.
These stories form the basis for how we think about the world and live our lives. Stories
preserve culture and pass on cultural knowledge from one generation to another. In essence,
stories keep cultures alive. Stories provide a timeless link to ancient traditions, legends,
myths, and archetypes. But they also connect us to universal truths about ourselves and our
world. Through stories, we share passions, fears, sadness, hardships, and joys, and we find
common ground with other people so that we can connect and communicate with them.
Stories are universal, conveying meaning and purpose that help us understand ourselves
better and find commonality with others.
The story of Jahangir and Anarkali is popular folklore in the former territories of the Mughal Empire
Stories are important as they preserve culture and pass on cultural knowledge from one
generation to another. In essence, stories keep cultures alive. Stories provide a timeless link
to ancient traditions, legends, myths, and archetypes.

Storytelling brings people together to entertain each other, to learn from each other, and
often to teach young people about life and their world. It shapes the reality of the world in
their minds. Storytelling has been important in all cultures since the dawn of history to bring
people together.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
CULTURE.
CULTURE IS LEARNED AND ACQUIRED

CULTURE IS SHARED BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE

CULTURE IS CUMULATIVE

CULTURE CHANGES

CULTURE IS DYNAMIC

CULTURE GIVES US A RANGE OF PERMISSIBLE BEHAVIOUR

PATTERNS

CULTURE IS DIVERSE

CULTURE IS IDEATIONAL
CULTURE IS LEARNED AND ACQUIRED:
Culture is acquired in the sense that there are certain behaviours which are acquired through
heredity. Individuals inherit certain qualities from their parents but socio-cultural patterns are
not inherited. These are learnt from family members, from the group and the society in
which they live. It is thus apparent that the culture of human beings is influenced by the
physical and social environment through which they operate.

CULTURE IS SHARED BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE:

A thought or action may be called culture if it is shared and believed or practiced by a group
of people.

CULTURE IS CUMULATIVE:
Different knowledge embodied in culture can be passed from one generation to another
generation. More and more knowledge is added in the particular culture as the time passes
by. Each may work out solution to problems in life that passes from one generation to
another. This cycle remains as the particular cultur

There is knowledge, thoughts or traditions that are lost as new cultural traits are added. There
are possibilities of cultural changes within the particular culture as time passes.

CULTURE IS DYNAMIC :
No culture remains on the permanent state. Culture is changing constantly as new ideas and
new techniques are added as time passes modifying or changing the old ways. This is the
characteristics of culture that stems from the culture’s cumulative quality.

CULTURE GIVES US A RANGE OF PERMISSIBLE BEHAVIOUR

PATTERNS:
It involves how an activity should be conducted, how an individual should act appropriately.

CULTURE IS DIVERSE:
It is a system that has several mutually interdependent parts. Although these parts are
separate, they are interdependent with one another forming culture as whole.

CULTURE IS IDEATIONAL:
Often it lays down an ideal pattern of behaviour that are expected to be followed by
individuals so as to gain social acceptance from the people with the same culture.