Lesson 1: What is Culture?
The Evolution of Culture: Historical and Geographical Influences
I once taught English in a foreign country that had a program meant to not only teach the students English, but American culture as well. I looked at it and said, “This won’t teach them about American culture.”
The list included events that happened in recent history that involved America, but to understand the cultural aspects that made those Americans behave the way they did, it’s my opinion that you need to go way back in history and understand why and how America was settled. You need to realize that only American Indians are truly American. Everyone and I mean everyone else originally came from elsewhere. You need to understand American geography. The fact that America is a distance from Europe, but the land has many natural resources. And you need a knowledge of British history to understand what many of the first settlers wanted to leave behind.
These are the the basis of America and its culture. These things explain the American work ethic its effort to tolerate differences and its staunch defense of the freedom of others, the reason Americans don’t mind changing jobs, American optimism, and the feeling that where there's a will, there's a way.
I’ve used America as an example, but the same holds true for any country. Look at its history and geography and you’ll have a much better understanding of its culture.
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