What is culture?

     There is no easy way to define what culture is because it means many different things to different people. What my definition of culture is might not be the same as the definition of the person sitting across from me.

     To me however, culture is a set of behaviors, beliefs, and interests that defines a group of people.  Each one of these categories can also be split into two different subcategories: traditional and contemporary. How does this work?

     Take for example Japan; before World War II started the Japanese culture was known for being traditional, barely influenced by any outsiders, and kept their traditions intact. Nowadays however, Japan has become a more industrialized country which competes on a daily basis with countries in the Western world such as the United States. The younger generations are not as traditional as their parents and grandparents, and they have been influenced by outside countries, but that doesn't mean that they are losing their culture, in fact, they are creating their own culture. By grabbing bits and pieces of the culture from their parents and what the media has made available for them, the youth have been able to construct their own culture and create something that defines them as a group, such as otakus and cosplayers. The same happens around the world since culture varies geographically and across time.

     In conclusion, the definition of culture varies from place to place and from people to people. In my case, culture is what defines a group of people across a spectrum of things such as interests, behaviors, and traditions; but what does culture mean to you?