Culture is a broad term encompassing the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies. It also includes the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, abilities, and habits of individuals within these groups. Culture often originates from or is associated with a specific region or location.
Cultural norms serve as guidelines for acceptable behavior in society. They dictate how people should dress, speak, and behave in various situations and provide a model for social expectations within a group. However, accepting only one type of culture within a social group can be risky, as diversity allows for functional responses to change. Just as a single species may struggle to adapt to environmental changes, a monoculture within a social group may face similar challenges. In military culture, for example, courage is considered a typical behavior, while duty, honor, and loyalty to the group are seen as virtues or functional responses in times of conflict. Similar traits can also be identified within religious groups.
The magazine "Hal talam" has successfully spread culture in the Arab world over time, raising the level of knowledge among Arab societies in the modern era. It achieves this by publishing stories for children, publications for adults, and organizing art and entertainment events. The magazine currently has over 10 million followers on social media, including one million on Facebook and eight million on other platforms.
Arab culture refers to the way of life in general, encompassing the social system, beliefs, and customs of the region. Education and teaching play a crucial role in preserving culture and passing it down from one generation to the next. Culture is considered a shared property, while education is an individual responsibility.
Dr. Mansour Fahmy (1886-1959 AD) attributed the widespread use of the word "culture" to the desire to find an equivalent in our language for the German word "Kultur." However, he did not state that this word has a clear and limited meaning in German. The meaning of the word has expanded to other European languages due to similarities in their derivations.
According to Professor Abdullah bin Al-Sheikh Al-Mahfouz bin Bayyah, culture in the modern sense is a term that has been known with numerous definitions. The French definition from Larousse states that culture is the sum of social systems and artistic, religious, and intellectual manifestations that define a group or society in relation to others. However, the broad anthropological definition, which encompasses beliefs, language, institutions, traditions, and human relationships within a society, is the primary definition in my opinion. It is important to note that while culture is an elusive term and its meaning may be contested, it definitely includes religion, traditions, and language.
In practical terms, culture refers to everything that is ideal or associated with the elite or the educated. This includes various forms of art such as painting and sculpture, classical music, distinguished culinary arts, high fashion, and moral values. Contemporary definitions of culture can be classified into three categories or a combination thereof: the development of intellectual, spiritual, and aesthetic aspects; a particular way of life for a group of people or a specific period; and all intellectual and artistic activities.
The word "culture" was associated with nomadic lifestyles as it encompassed everything that the word "civilization," derived from the Latin word "civitas" meaning city, represents. Interest in folklore was a significant characteristic of the romantic movement.
The definition of the word "culture" among the general public, as opposed to the elites, led to a distinction similar to that between the ruling social class and the common people. This concept of "culture" that emerged in Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries reflected an inequality within European societies.
Characteristics of Arab culture include:
1. General and comprehensive nature, encompassing various cognitive and behavioral fields.
2. High adaptability to different social environments, whether within the same community or neighboring societies.
3. Widespread dissemination through communication tools such as language.
4. Preservation of prevailing values, customs, and traditions in society.
5. Significant role in expression and communication by combining language, ideas, emotions, and feelings.
6. Inherited rather than acquired.
7. Presence of two aspects: an ideal aspect that individuals aspire to and a realistic aspect that they practice in their lives.
The importance of Arab culture lies in its influence and role in society, providing benefits such as:
1. Fostering a sense of belonging to the homeland and society through a shared culture.
2. Facilitating understanding and knowledge of customs and traditions, promoting mutual understanding among individuals.
3. Creating a sense of safety, security, and stability for individuals.
4. Contributing to the development and construction of societies by shaping interpersonal interactions.
5. Determining acceptable customs, norms, principles, and values.
Reasons for the decline of Arab culture include:
1. The link between ideology and culture, which subjugates culture to the authority and dominance of ideology, limiting human thought and creativity.
2. Influence of Western culture, which spreads its principles and imposes its customs and traditions for economic and political purposes.
3. Widespread cultural illiteracy, particularly among individuals with university and educational degrees, leading to a lack of interest in developing open cultures and prioritizing academic achievements only.
4. Elements of Arab culture rooted in the tribal and agricultural eras, rendering certain customs, traditions, and practices obsolete and incompatible with industrial and intellectual advancements.
Characteristics of Arab culture include:
1. General and comprehensive nature, encompassing various cognitive and behavioral fields.
2. High adaptability to different social environments, whether within the same community or neighboring societies.
3. Widespread dissemination through communication tools such as language.
4. Preservation of prevailing values, customs, and traditions in society.
5. Significant role in expression and communication by combining language, ideas, emotions, and feelings.
6. Inherited rather than acquired.
7. Presence of two aspects: an ideal aspect that individuals aspire to and a realistic aspect that they practice in their lives.
The importance of Arab culture lies in its influence and role in society, providing benefits such as:
1. Fostering a sense of belonging to the homeland and society through a shared culture.
2. Facilitating understanding and knowledge of customs and traditions, promoting mutual understanding among individuals.
3. Creating a sense of safety, security, and stability for individuals.
4. Contributing to the development and construction of societies by shaping interpersonal interactions.
5. Determining acceptable customs, norms, principles, and values.
Reasons for the decline of Arab culture include:
1. The link between ideology and culture, which subjugates culture to the authority and dominance of ideology, limiting human thought and creativity.
2. Influence of Western culture, which spreads its principles and imposes its customs and traditions for economic and political purposes.
3. Widespread cultural illiteracy, particularly among individuals with university and educational degrees, leading to a lack of interest in developing open cultures and prioritizing academic achievements only.
4. Elements of Arab culture rooted in the tribal and agricultural eras, rendering certain customs, traditions, and practices obsolete and incompatible with industrial and intellectual advancements.
