For my students in Visual Rhetoric, I want us to crowdsource a definition of “culture.” Secondly, I want us to crowdsource a definition of “visual culture.” (What is crowdsourcing? Think of Wikipedia. It is drawing on the wisdom of the crowds, putting many to the same task for a better result than any one individual could manage on his or her own.)
Here are the groundrules: I want at least one comment from each person taking a stab at each definition, though all are invited to comment more often, reacting to other students’ definitions. Secondly, NO GOOGLING. No outside sourcing OF ANY KIND. These definitions, like culture itself, should come only from us, out of our heads. Your comments should be made to this blog post.
The deadline: Friday morning, 9 a.m., which will give me time to read them and draw some conclusions.
And just a reminder to everyone to bring in on Friday two or three visuals or images you remember, that you will continue to remember, of the millions of images you have been exposed to over your lifetimes. If you can bring a copy or representation of these images, great, but that isn’t required. A memory delivered verbally will suffice.
August 27, 2008 at 3:26 pm |
Culture = A shared set of “norms” for a specified group of people. Could include, but is not limited to, food, traditions, language, dress, music, views/attitudes.
Visual culture = A shared view or way of perceiving an image (?)
August 27, 2008 at 3:28 pm |
Culture is purely developed by people. It is defined as the accepted and practiced rituals of a specified community, usually in a certain region, and often reflects the people’s way of living, beliefs, morals, behaviors and traditions. Certain cultures can then be attributed to specific groups of people by tribe, religion, geography, etc.
Visual Culture is defined in the same way as “Culture,” but the way of living, morals, traditions, etc are displayed through art, dance, the structure of the community’s building and common household items or styles.
Visual Culture is much more appearant than Culture. Visual Culture can be recognized simply through pictures, but a true understanding of Culture only comes through one’s interaction with that society. Sure, a basic understanding of Culture is understood through reading history, but one cannot fully understand the importance of culture until he or she has lived side by side in that area.
August 27, 2008 at 4:32 pm |
Building off of both Leigh’s and Jennifer’s definitions:
culture: also includes language, rituals, and worldview as developed by the tribe, community, or peoples. Religions also strongly affect the culture of a people or region especially in the Middle East, India, and other such religion-centric lands. Culture is defined in terms of family groups, relationships, and, as Lleigh said, foods.
visual culture: Perhaps moreso than in the case of culture, visual culture is affected by religious and moral beliefs of a people or nation; more conservative religions such as Islam would generally produce more subdued and reserved images. This would be a relatively sex-free visual culture. More liberal or secular peoples or cultures would likely produce racier images with less concern for concealing than revealing. For example, America is a highly sexually-saturated visual culture.
August 27, 2008 at 9:37 pm |
~Culture- A common upholding in values and behaviors as a society such as tradition, way of speech, laws, clothing etc.
~Visual Culture- how an image will be interpreted by individuals in that culture. Visual Culture can have many different meanings within that culture based on religious background, upbringing ,passions etc. All of these things can persuade how an individual will look at an image.
August 27, 2008 at 9:57 pm |
i think the concept of “culture” is one of the single most fascinating topics we can explore. in my limited experience with world travel (and by that, i mean i’ve only been out of the country once!), i have noticed that when it comes down to it, we all share a relatively similiar undersanding of what ingredients are needed to create a culture. however, i believe that the differences come into play when we look at HOW culture is expressed in different areas of the world.
with that being said, the best working definition of culture that i’ve been able to create in my mind is summed up in the following statement:
culture is the set of beliefs, customs, and practices that an individual employs to establish a sense of connectedness to others around them, thus building community, trust, and understanding.
i think that’s a relatively fair assertion to make, regardless of the differences in expression of this culture. our culture in the united states consists of — among many other things — a strong interest in obtaining a great career and overall individual financial success. in the jungles of guatemala, however, i have noticed in my personal experience that culture consists of a shared desire to do well for the benefit of the whole community.
ok, so i apologize for my tangent!
now, things get a bit more tricky for me when i try to think of the meaning of a ‘visual culture.’ as a result of our class safari today, though, i think i’ve been able to create a rough definition.
visual culture is the shared perception of a group of individuals in response to stimuli that most necessarily must be experienced through sight.
i believe that when a set of people look at something — the christian cross, for example — and perceive it in relativley the same way (in this case, salvation and faith), this is where we find the true definition of visual culture.
((i apologize for using such a cliche example in the above paragraph, though i felt it was a good example to illustrate what i mean!))
-j
August 27, 2008 at 11:45 pm |
Culture – traditions and modifications of a tribe, society, etc.
(Food, clothes, sing/dance)
Visual culture – icons a person/group of people believe to have a single meaning
(Cross=Jesus, Burger King=fatty, but good)
August 28, 2008 at 11:10 am |
Culture- A group of people who share similar values, norms, traditions, and behaviors, which enable them to have a sense of ‘unity’ and understanding among each other.
Visual Culture- The values, norms, traditions, and behaviors of a group of people interpreted by sight using symbols, images, clothing, architecture, food etc;
August 28, 2008 at 11:13 am |
Culture – the surroudings that you live in that effect the way you may live, act, believe, what you believe in, what you eat, how you eat, dress, etc…
Visual Culture – how we interpret the way we see things because of our culture and experiences which defines how we see certain symbols, colors, decor. and so on
August 28, 2008 at 4:10 pm |
Culture – A shared tradition within a people group where the values, behaviors, rituals, religious beliefs, and means of survival are unique to that people group. Its what creates unity within a people group and adds distinction and clarity into the identity of its particular people group.
Visual Culture – The way images are interpreted based on the cultural tradition of the interpreter.
August 28, 2008 at 4:16 pm |
Culture:
a group’s traditions (they started inventing these as soon as they called themselves a group. ie: America’s traditions started with the colonies) combined with the current “trends” (practices, beliefs, dress, etc.) of the society.
Visual Culture:
the images assigned to the culture’s traditions and trends
ie: Thanksgiving is represented by a turkey, pilgrims, cornucopia, etc. while the Fourth of July is represented by things associated with the celebrations we’ve come to expect–American flags, everything red, white and blue, fireworks, watermelon, etc.
August 28, 2008 at 5:29 pm |
wow…there are so many great definitions already!
i would have to say that “culture” is the set of beliefs (whether that is religious, what is acceptable to eat, appropriate dress, etc) that a group of people accept or use to define themselves.
visual culture is the images that are associated with a group’s culture.
August 28, 2008 at 8:04 pm |
Culture for me would be something that you have grown up doing. So a culture would be traditions that families do. Your personal “makeup” that makes you the person that you are today. Culture makes each person different in a way because not all of us do the same traditions as all.
Visual Culture would be a visual of a person’s cultures by looking at how they lived or something. When I think about visual culture I think about the trips to Williamsburg, VA that I took with my family. I think going to a place like Williamsburg is visual culture because is shows you how people lived back then and allows you to “see” what their culture was like.
August 28, 2008 at 9:10 pm |
Culture – The commonalities within a specifice group of people that others view from the outside.
Visual Culture – The idea of a community agreeing upon how people view them visually. For example, a community builds buildings with the colonial style of architecture. That community is presenting their visual culture as colonial. So, visual culture is the view that a community chooses for others to see them as.
August 28, 2008 at 9:31 pm |
I agree with the definitions above and only have to add that in my opinion culture is:
the norms, beliefs, lifestyles, values, etc, set by a group or individual and follwed others members in that group or who want to become part of that group. It is these sets of norms, beliefs, etc, what give us identity, defines who we are and how we act.
Visual culture is the means we use to express those values, traditions, norms that define us. For example, through paintings, literature, dance, etc
August 28, 2008 at 9:33 pm |
culture is the environment in which you lived in. EXAMPLE : If you live in New York you might have a diffent form of entertainment, outlook on life, and lifestyle than that of a person from Rome, GA or else where in the world. culture is the difference in between eachother and what defines us as people.
Visual Culture can be actually stuctures or architecture that may define a time period in time. EXAMPLE The Greeks and Romans had large out door temples and arenas. today we have large steel skyscrapers and indoor arenas. We design cities differently. the arts and forms of clothing are different which seperates each culture and time period.
August 28, 2008 at 9:46 pm |
Culture is a collection of the common beliefs, values, ideas, traditions, behaviors and language that are upheld in a specific community or group.
Going along with that, Visual Culture involves the meanings, or messages, attached to visual images, based on a group’s culture.
August 28, 2008 at 10:49 pm |
I define culture as the distinct features a community defines itself by using tradition, art, and daily life. Culture can be changed and shaped by the people within that community. Culture can also teach people outside of that community about who they are and what they stand for.
Visual culture I take to be the unique way people use, interpret, and obtain visual messages, accoring to their specific culture. Like Nayu said, it is the way a community can express their specific culture.
Both culture and visual culture are revealed by the communities who create them. They are not permanent but change with the flow of the region that uses them.
August 28, 2008 at 10:52 pm |
People define society’s idea of culture through their personal interactions. It can be commonly held beliefs, values, language and customs.
For example, in Italy, the natives use their hands extensively to communicate ideas and perceptions. Hand gestures convey particular meaning that is known to other Italians, so the physical aspect of Italy becomes an integrated part of their culture.
Visual culture embodies the essence of the people through art, architecture and typical dress of a society. These creations become part of the identifying element of a culture when the art is commonplace and widely accepted by the country’s people.
The Eiffel Tower is widely known to all as the symbol of France, specifically Paris. The architect didn’t intend for the structure to become a popular tourist site, but the French people recognized its significance after a strong response. The visual culture of the Eiffel Tower and other known monuments, art, and the people’s dress are examples of what the people value, what they identify with and what they find important to their society as a whole.
August 29, 2008 at 12:49 am |
Good job everyone, these sound great!
Culture: a society’s shared traditions of art, religion, language, customs, and beliefs native to their country or community that fosters a sense of unity and commonality within the population. Cultures from one nation or tribe can be easily integrated if introduced to another group of people.
Visual Culture: Images associated with a particular culture that identify a certain element of that society such as architecture, paintings, etc.
August 29, 2008 at 1:20 am |
It’s nice to see that almost everyone agrees that culture is a binding concept, bringing people together, forming connections, but as a child I always thought of culture as the unique aspects of a people that sets them apart from others. Though that may be taking a step back and looking at cultures versus culture, that childish view reminds me of the the adjective cultured. To become more cultured people visit art galleries, plays, concerts; they look to the roots of their history and follow the fluid thread of evolution to the present day. I would consider culture the constant building of identity, formed by that evolution. Survival of the fittest applies.
The concept of visual culture would be the optical story of the fittest. The concepts of the culture with the most staying power are reflected the most in visual works. If culture is a thread, then visual culture is the actual sight of the thread. It is the representation, interpretation and evaluation of the thread. Visual culture can condone or condemn; it can pull the thread forward or backward. After all, visual culture is a substratum of culture itself, intertwined, inseparable.
August 29, 2008 at 1:57 am |
The views and definitions that the class has come up with actually reflects my definition of culture. While there are some similarities among them, the differences are also easy spot. The concept of “culture” encompasses so much more than just being defined by a country. It is much more broad, and at the same time much more personal. One’s culture can be influenced by the people-group they are a part of all the way down to the neighborhood they live in or the job they perform. It is more than just physical (where one lives) but it is mental (the education one has) and spiritual (the religion one claims or does not claim). Culture does unite people, like most of the class has said, but I would think it very rare that two people would have the same exact culture (much like our definitions). Culture has a lot to do with tradition in the sense that it is something that is passed on, but culture also evolves with each person it is passed on to.
Visual culture is the expression of these traditions and evolutions through forms such as food, art, dress, etc. Visual culture is also broad and specific at the same time. Take food for a simple example. American pizza, Italian pizza and Mexican pizza are all very different. Take it closer a level: Chicago pizza is different than New York pizza is different than California pizza. In this case, culture is based on geography and is expressed accordingly. They have their similarities, but it is their differences that make them unique as the geography becomes more specific.
August 29, 2008 at 11:17 am |
I think culture is the artistic expression of any given people, which could encompass religion, traditional arts and the rhythm of their lives (i.e. rituals, traditions etc.). culture is something passed down through the ages, but it is still a fluid idea.
When I think of the term visual culture, I think of images that one would associate with a given culture, like the great pyramids of Egypt or kabuki theatre in Japan. People creata their own visual culture, but they also inherit it.
November 25, 2008 at 12:06 am |
[...] operationalized for our discussions in class. We also tried defining “visual culture.” Here’s the blog entry on those [...]