by John D Carmack

Created on: July 27, 2011   Last Updated: July 28, 2011

According to CliffsNotes, “Culture consists of the beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other characteristics common to the members of a particular group or society.”  In contrast, society is the group of people who are interacting, and culture is what they share.

Culture is the glue that keeps a group of people together.  Within cultures, though, there may be different subcultures.  These subcultures can work to strengthen the larger society or act to divide it.  The United States is a nation of immigrants, and people from many cultures have come to the US and integrated into subcultures shared by ethnicity and/or common heritage.  This has brought a rich and vibrant diversity to the US, but at times, it has also caused friction between different groups.

Different groups in a culture may value different portions of the culture.  Some people claim to have “culture”, in which they really mean they value art, music and what are considered the “finer” aspects of a society.  However, that is not the sociological notion of culture.  In reality, those who would make such a claim are engaging in their own subculture.  For example, how many in a society would listen to opera?  Certainly, a few would be enthusiastic to do so, but it can hardly be argued that opera is something that is shared by the society at large.

The culture of smaller societies is easier to observe and document.  A village or even a tribe is more likely to be cohesive and bind together with common language, beliefs, history and artifacts.  Those who reject a portion of the culture are much more likely to stand out and be ostracized or worse.  This binding together helps to ensure the continuity of the society.  However, it can also stifle innovation and resist change even when it is necessary for survival.

In contrast, a larger society will almost of necessity have subcultures that will have competing and conflicting ideas, languages, beliefs, heritage and artifacts.  They will share some things with the larger culture, but these will sometimes be superficial.  In these larger societies, there can be such diversity that it is more difficult for those who reject portions of the overall culture do not stand out as much.  As a consequence, those who “rebel” against portions of the culture may be more tolerated, or in some cases even venerated.  The different opinions, viewpoints and ideas can spark a great deal of innovation, but the cost can be societal cohesiveness and stability.

It is important for a society to share the glue that binds groups together.  Unfortunately, history is replete with examples of where values and beliefs were forced upon others in an oppressive manner.  The Soviet Union was such a society, and it disintegrated rather quickly once the plug was pulled.

It is important for a society to tolerate some differences to spark innovation.  Unfortunately, this has sometimes led instead to one group fighting and attempting to control the other.  This also leads to disintegration, but often only after violence.  Any group has to have a common bond, and culture is that bond for the society at large.

In addition, societies are not stagnant.  Demographics constantly change, and that provide shifts in societies ideals.  Defining moments, such as 9/11, change societies as well.  Earthquakes, famines, droughts and other disasters can forever change the cultural landscape.

The question in all of this, then, is: Is the culture changing for the betterment of the society or for the detriment of the society?

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