What is culture?
A discussion on culture should first begin with a definition. The quantity of cultural definitions expounded by learned researchers are too numerous to count, each one having a relevant claim to a meaningful understanding of the terms of culture. Olie discusses over 164 different definitions for culture collected up until 1951. Hofstede himself also provides equivocal definitions."A collective programming of the mind which distinguishes one group from another"."Mental programming ... patterns of thinking and feeling and potential acting".
A key term in these definitions is the word 'programming'. Culture is not something that is easily acquired it is a slow process of growing into a society. It includes:
learning values (dominant beliefs and attitudes)
partaking of rituals (collective activities)
modelling against heroes (role models)
understanding symbols (myths, legends, dress, jargon, lingo...)
These ingredients of culture are acquired from birth. They are influenced by family, school, religion, workplace, friends, television, newspapers and books, and many other sources.