Definition of Culture

[Rose Immortal]

This isn't flamebait, I promise...I just want to get a feel for how you guys define this, because it's helpful to understanding how you think of Deaf culture.

In your minds, what is it that creates a culture and defines it as separate from others around it? Religion? Nationality? Language? All of the above? None of the above?

How do you define the difference between a community and a culture? When does something cross the line from one into the other? For instance, take the visually-impaired. Or Southerners (U.S.). Would you identify them as a community or a culture, and why?

If you believe that there can be cultures within cultures, then how do you rank them in importance to you? Example: I am an American first, and then a Southerner. This is important because when people ranked those two the other way around, we had the Civil War.

 

[apathrev]

I think it today's day and age, after so much assimilation, it is hard to find examples of true culture. Now I'm not going to get into the whole "no deaf culture vs deaf culture" arguement. I'm not deaf, and so its not my place to say. But I think a more suitable, overlooked term for today is subculture.

Definition of subculture:

1 a : a culture (as of bacteria) derived from another culture b : an act or instance of producing a subculture
2 : an ethnic, regional, economic, or social group exhibiting characteristic patterns of behavior sufficient to distinguish it from others within an embracing culture or society

And when someone uses the term "deaf culture," I don't think its being meant as a noun, but more of an adjective to describe characteristics and traits of the deaf community. Just as I take interest in underground culture. When I say this, I refer to music, trends, traits. Not necessarily an actual recognized culture, but more of a distinct sect of society.

 

[apathrev]

edit: double post, pls delete

 

[Rose Immortal]

I think it today's day and age, after so much assimilation, it is hard to find examples of true culture. Now I'm not going to get into the whole "no deaf culture vs deaf culture" arguement. I'm not deaf, and so its not my place to say. But I think a more suitable, overlooked term for today is subculture.

I saw that word in sociology...but I never felt like I knew how to properly apply it...

 

[Big E]

I never bring up the subject of the definition of "deaf culture" in a conversation, or in my classes, because it is a very sensitive subject. I have never understood why Deaf scholars argue that language is the basis of culture. But they are not the only one defining their group as culture.

I certainly agree there is a Deaf community. The Oxford dictionary defines community as "the holding of certain attitudes and interests in common."
The Deaf community certainly fit this definition of "community." The members of the Deaf Community hold certain attitudes and interest in common. They share a language, a disability, common interests and concerns.

In regards to "culture," I believe culture, anthropologically speaking, to come from "cult" or religion. The Latin root word for culture is "cultura," which means growing. It is the same root word for cult. Here is my problem: we can all argue that Italian culture came from Catholicism, Muslim culture comes from Islam, Indian culture comes from the Hinduism, Chinese culture comes from Confucius, Southern culture comes from non-conformist Christianity (and it is changing), etc. What does Deaf culture come from?

Of course, we can argue that the use of the word "culture" has expanded over time to mean many things. Today, its meaning has changed. People use the word "culture" to include many things such as scientific culture, art culture, african-american culture, etc.

And, of course, communion comes from the Latin communitas, which means fellowship. The origin of that word is from early and mediaeval Christian theology, which sees worship (Mass) as a communion with the Triune God where the bread and wine is consecrated into the Body and Blood of Christ and we eat and drink his Body and Blood, entering into a communion with the Father, through the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I hope you find this helpful.

 

[Teresh]

Of course, we can argue that the use of the word "culture" has expanded over time to mean many things. Today, its meaning has changed. People use the word "culture" to include many things such as scientific culture, art culture, african-american culture, etc.

Well, the definition of "culture" states that a culture is an ethnic or social group
whose practices are distinguishable from others.

There are many modus operandi in normal living that Deaf people do that hearing don't and vice-versa. A number of things that are not rude to Deaf people are rather rude to hearing people, pointing at people being a good example of this. Having a different language does not constitute a culture in and of itself, but differing social practices inevitably result when two groups of people cannot or do not communicate (and if they do, do so often through a translator or interpreter).

 

[Rose Immortal]

I never bring up the subject of the definition of "deaf culture" in a conversation, or in my classes, because it is a very sensitive subject.

Just so that nobody responding to this thread has to feel awkward, I just wanted to say that I'm not interested in debating--just in understanding people's rationale. Who is right or wrong is not something I'm even qualified to get into.