Which aspect of peoples' lives tells you most about the culture?

Question

Which aspect of peoples' lives tells you most about the culture?

Answer 1

how they treat members of their family

Answer 2

where they put their money.

Answer 3

I was tempted to say "the dignity with which they treat the sick and elderly" but that says nothing about housing density, crime or other factors that blight humanity.  On balance, I reckon the incidence of stress related illness must tell you at least as much about a culture as anything else.  Even that is inadequate:  It's hard to have a stress related illness when you are starving to death.

Sorry - don't know - but a thought provoking question.

Answer 4

what they wear is a good indicator. How they worship, what they drive (unfortunately).

Answer 5

Wow, Alison, this is a great question - really got me philosophising on this one!!

I'm sat here thinking about everything involved in the culture of people from families, education, health, to religion and art and goodness know what else!

So, what would tell you the most about the culture?  What snap-shot would glean the most information about a way of life?

I think if it had to be only one thing to look at - it would be leisure time.  What do people do in their spare time?  This would apply to everyone around the world in a highly modernised nation to a small community living off the land or forest.

For example, look at the Western leisure time.  TV, video games, cinemas, music, books, crafts, sports, holidays and so on.  Not only are the options endless but the choices available are vast.  Doesn't this show so much about who we are?  That as a culture we have money (disposable income), that we are, as a culture, driven by it (consumer led).  Not only do have all these things, but look at the types of things we watch on TV, the types of books we read or the holidays we go on - sure, it says alot about an individual but says so much about the culture (the education of a nation, it's health and housing, it's family and community relations, business, technology, religion, values etc)

Compare this leisure time to a culture in Mongolia, Indonesia or Tibet.  As humans, we all have the same needs of shelter, food and family/friends.  How, in order to achieve these basic fundamentals, does it change our leisure time?  If you live in a culture that survives on the land or fishing determined by the seasons and the weather etc - the fun leisure time is often spent with the family and community, celebrating the harvest or seasonal festival (as an example).  Spare time is far more focused around community, in the investment into those things that allow you to survive.

I just think, by looking at the things we CHOOSE to do when we're not doing the things we HAVE to - it tells us so much about where we live and what life is like.

Cheers Alison!

Answer 6

I have to agree that it is family. This indicates social location: religion, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, etc. Within the family structure you can observe gender differences and division of labor also, how discipline is metered out and who is the primary disciplinarian. You can observe rites of passages, diet, leisure activities, family structure (nuclear, extended, step), how the elderly and newborn is treated, and so much more. This is the ideal setting.

Answer 7

If you want just one thing then I would opt for how they live as a family. This embraces their wealth, education, diet, health, entertainment etc. as well as the relationship between father and mother and children. In the West we tend to assume that our model (still essentially the nuclear family) is the norm - but this is very culturally dependent. The starting point for a study of other cultures could usefully be to look closely at family life - not judgmentally but simply to gauge priorities and constraints.

Answer 8

The way they treat others. People who are casually dishonest  to those they don't know and the State, people who live wastefully and don't support those in need, people who use unkind language and treat others with disrespect, people who don't take responsibility for their actions, whether littering or killing someone, are all symptoms of a culture with negative values.

Answer 9

How they treat their sick and vulnerable people.

Answer 10

Karen beat me to it on this one.

Leisure time is a great way to get a feel for a culture.  Societies can be judged based on the amount of free time, and by how people use it.  Free time is the opportunity for people to participate in any variety of activities including helping others or trying to improve society.  In America, though, most of it is spent on mindless time-wasting in front of the TV or on the web answering other people's questions.  Wait...