Culture Then vs. Culture Now

Questions softly freeze upon ourselves. Who am I? What do I believe in? Who are my people? Which social role do I follow? How am I supposed to act in public? Which section of society do I follow? To shield yourself from this cold, whose ice numbs you with the undetermined answers of society, you put on your jacket. The jacket is your culture. Culture protects you by answering all your questions, it gives you a purpose.

Culture is most often defined as “the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group” (Oxford). However, this doesn’t encompass even half of the true meaning. Its meaning varies from person to person. For example, one might describe culture as the art, music, passed down through generations; focusing on the tangible expressions in order to differentiate. While the other may say that culture is the collective set of values, norms, and behaviors that shape the way a person thinks; focusing not only on the visible aspects, but also the invisible threads that bind people together and influence their worldviews. So while definitions like the one from Oxford are helpful for understanding culture’s outward forms, they still don’t capture its depth. It is both a reflection of the past and a constantly evolving force that shapes the future.

Origin & the Purpose of Culture

So how does it play a role in society?

Before we delve into the role of culture in the world, it’s vital to understand how it even came to be. The widely accepted belief is that humans developed the concept of modern culture around 40,000 years ago. However, many anthropologists and scientists argue that culture is actually much older than that. They suggest that modern culture is simply just a more polished version of the old version that existed long before (Cole ). Some zoologists further contend that our understanding of the origin of culture, including its biological roots, is still quite limited .

The main point to take note of here is that the entity of culture is always evolving. From prehistoric to just 40,000 years ago, there were major changes into what formed to be a closer resemblance of modern culture. As boundaries began to occur in communities, it diverged into the formation of modern culture, which is still evolving (Foley).

The presence of culture in the world for tens of thousands of years allowed it to become an integrated part of our society now, proving it serves a vital purpose. 

Well, what is that purpose?

In my 12 AP English class, I had the opportunity to choose a book of choice for our individual reading. Still reeling in from my AP Biology genetics test, the book The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins immediately captured my attention. Initially just a means to get a good grade, I didn’t take it to heart, however I found many interesting facts come to light here. Though not solely focusing on culture, this book discussed how cultural transmission can be seen as a form of evolutionary adaptation, and likewise, shows the evolution and changes of culture (Dawkins). It also highlighted the importance of cultural norms and practices that surprisingly aid in survival.

After learning that culture is our tool for survival as it’s the ability to learn from others and build on knowledge and skill, I wanted to know the purpose of culture in relation to instant gratification as we knew that there were delayed results.

Intrinsic benefits are at the core of culture. Humans need a certain extent of structure, and the best way to do that would be the benefits of providing a sense of identity (Frey). Culture is tempered to build off of the past, building communities and creating a safe space necessary for future generations. However, sometimes cultural evolution doesn’t always provide growth.

This brings in the topic of cultural decline.

Cultural Decline

Culture builds off every generation, so it should technically be growing, right? Well not necessarily.

Personally, I always try to make a conscious choice to stay in touch with my roots and heritage in any way I can. Be it by learning an Indian classical dance, going to the temple, or simply just watching bollywood movies; it’s all a conscious effort to preserve my culture –and as corny as it may seem– for my kids.

But lately I’ve been noticing the lack of cultural connect among Gen-Z. There is no cultural unification or pride, and especially so, there is no understanding between generations. This soon became more apparent for me as we read the short story, Saving Sourdi, in my English class where the main character is compelled to do anything for her younger sister. Sourdi has grown up and integrated into American culture as well as Cambodian. She knows she has an obligation to fill, especially as the eldest daughter. So she married a man whom Nea thought put her in a disadvantage. Sourdi’s marriage to an American man represents the clash between traditional values with modern values. This conflict is further expanded upon by Nea’s reluctance to change and her strong desire to preserve the traditions of her homeland. “ When we first moved to South Dakota, I thought we'd find the real America” (Chai). This quote highlights the expectation the family feels as they move into a new country. They came to America to start a new life, but the “real America” is one that comes from forming a disconnection with one’s own heritage. The struggle between honoring one’s cultural heritage and seizing the opportunities of a new country serves as a recurring theme throughout the story. 

This is something I found I related to as a reader. Although I often try to become more and more integrated into my cultural identity, I still know I would be incomparable to someone from my hometown. It also brought me a sense of crisis.

English is not my first language. It is also not my second. Growing up, I listened and spoke an amalgamation of 3 of the most different Indian languages. And now, I can barely speak 2 languages (including English). While this may not be a struggle for some, it is for me as it shows the degradation of culture as we continue to evolve as human beings.

Culture to Culture

As complex as it may seem now, culture was once just a byproduct of living. Every community was unseemingly tied together in their individual norms and history, “…so to understand their culture, you had to understand them”(TextAppeals ). Such a beautiful concept, one that is now threatened.

In a hyper-globalized world, Gen Z experiences a blending of global cultures through online exposure, making traditional cultural markers less central (Levinson). With multiculturalism as well, the value of individual culture is only decreasing to the public.

But it is vital to understand that culture is not a union or group that forms under separation, but is also a way to assimilate with the person next to you. It provides identity and uniquity which makes you, you. An individual without culture, is an individual without individuality.

Works Cited

Chai, May-Lee. Saving Soured. Sweet Study, www.sweetstudy.com/sites/default/ 

     files/qx/15/11/17/02/2015-11-02_22-37.pdf.

Cole, Thomas R., and Martha Holstein. "Aging and the Aged: V. Old Age." 

     Encyclopedia of Bioethics, edited by Stephen G. Post, 3rd ed., vol. 1, 

     Macmillan Reference USA, 2004, pp. 108-13. Gale eBooks. 

Dawkins, Richard. The Selfish Gene. 30th ed. Oxford UP.

Foley, R. A., and M Mirazon Cohr. "The Evolution of the Diversity of Cultures." 

     The Evolution of the Diversity of Cultures, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ 

  articles/PMC3049104/:~:text=Human%20cultures%2C%20as%20communities%20of,to%20technology—begin%20to%2 

Frey, William H. "Old versus Young: The Cultural Generation Gap." Pew, edited by 

     The Pew Charitable Trusts, 26 Jan. 2018, www.pewtrusts.org/en/trend/archive/ 

     winter-2018/old-versus-young-the-cultural-generation-gap. Accessed 9 Jan. 

     2025.  

Levinson, Risha W. "Aging and time-binding in the twenty-first century." 

     ETC.: A Review of General Semantics, vol. 60, no. 1, spring 2003, pp. 

     46+. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A102966445/ 

     LitRC?u=lom_macombtgps&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=59fc42f9. Accessed 10 Jan. 

     2025.