Sample Essay

In academic writing, you will often need to explain complex ideas in your own words. This is because your reader
may not be familiar with these concepts. Explaining ideas can also show how well you have understood them. This
sample essay shows how to give explanations in academic writing.

Task

What is culture?

Write an academic essay exploring the concept of culture. Look at different definitions of culture and describe
how they apply to a context you know well.

OR

Write a passage explaining the concept of culture. Use interpretations and definitions from different sources to
explore the meaning of the concept.

Sample Answer

This is an extract from a longer essay about the concept of culture. It is the first
part of the main body of the essay, it comes after the introduction and would be
followed by a discussion of culture in a particular context.

We have seen the concept of culture can be a slippery one. Different

interpretations and definitions are given by different people. Witherfork (2003:
78) defines culture as ‘patterns and incidences of human behaviour which are
recognizably distinctive to and differentiated from external observers’. What
Witherfork means by this is that culture needs to be seen in a wider context: he
emphasizes that people from one culture can recognize the features of other
cultures. Blindthorne (2005: 34) extends this definition by stating that culture ‘is
a facet-based socially constructed observable phenomenon, criterial to which
religious, social and collective behaviours apply’. This definition requires some
explanation. By ‘facet-based’ Blindthorne simply means that culture has many
different sides and aspects, such as the religious aspect he mentions. ‘Socially
constructed’ is generally taken to mean phenomena which are recognized by and
based in society. In other words, the example of ‘politeness’ is socially
constructed because it varies across societies and is seen by different societies in
different ways.

© Macmillan Publishers 2008.

 One further definition of culture requires explanation. The so-called ‘Dorchester
School’ of cultural commentary, based at Dorchester University, has contributed
extensively to the debate on culture. Pinkly (2007: 21) stresses the subjective
nature of culture: ‘culture… is a mode of behaviour, ritual or practice; exhibition
of physically-based material; or preponderance of value-based interaction, which is
grounded intra-nationally and internationally among members of that group.’ This
essentially means that any similar group of like-minded people do things, wear
clothes or, for example, greet each other, in a way that other members of a group
recognize. Such behaviours may be different from other cultural groups. Further
discussion offered by the Dorchester School has referred to the ‘diachronic
instinct of cultural variation’. What this refers to is the tendency for culture to
change over a period of time.

Taken together, these definitions mean that culture is certainly based on people’s
behaviour within certain groups. To put this another way, culture varies
geographically and within territories. Finally, aspects of culture can be recognized
by people either from the same or different cultures.

Comments

This passage of the essay aims to explain different terms and concepts, particularly the language used by
other writers who have attempted to define culture. The supporting material from other sources here needs
further explanation because it is somewhat difficult to understand and possibly ambiguous. You often need to
explain complex ideas in your own words for two main reasons:
• Your reader may not be familiar with the concepts and to communicate effectively with your audience
you need to be as clear as possible.
• When written work is being assessed, explanation serves to show that you understand what you are
writing about. You show that you are not simply reporting complex information but are demonstrating
that you understand it.

Especially where the reader may be new to the topic, ideas need to be explained in non-technical language
and in a way which the reader can relate to.
• In the sample essay, several ‘technical’ terms from the sources are paraphrased in simpler language:
facet-based Ö has many sides and aspects; diachronic Ö over a period of time; socially constructed
Ö recognized by and based in society
• The essay also includes a number of examples to help explain abstract concepts using real-world
examples which the reader is more likely to be familiar with: In other words, the example of
‘politeness’ is socially constructed because …; any similar group of like-minded people do things,
wear clothes or, for example, greet each other, in a way that other members of a group recognize.

The essay uses a number of expressions to signal that this is explanation, and not, for example, evaluation. A
variety of words and structures are used to frame the explanations:

What Witherfork means by this is that …

This definition requires some explanation. By ‘facet-based’ Blindthorne simply means …
‘Socially constructed’ is generally taken to mean …
In other words …
One further definition of culture requires explanation …
This essentially means that …
What this refers to …
Taken together, these definitions mean that …

© Macmillan Publishers 2008.