BSEAC 601: Understanding Culture & Tradition
Manipur University
South East Asian Cultural Heritage: An Introduction
In today’s world, we can access and learn about any cultures and traditions with just a swipe of
our fingers. Often these two terms culture and traditions were used interchangeably, yet they carry
different and important meanings. There have been several debates about the arts, culture and
traditions in the TV debates and discussions. However, without a correct understanding of their
subtle differences, we may end up being culturally appropriating and offending others, even with
a good intention to honor them.
What is Culture?
Academic disciplines, and sometimes even within them, have taken different approaches to the
concept and study of culture. Culture can be anything a researcher wants it to be. Culture can be
classified into a number of distinct categories. These classifications are difficult to compare in
terms of good vs. poor or true vs. false. They merely represent a variety of viewpoints, any of
which may have some merit. Cultural analysts should determine which perspective best meets their
research's goal and explain it to their viewers. Singelis, Bond, Sharkey, and Lai (1999)
distinguished between two sorts of culture: that which exists within individuals and that which
exists outside of them. The first is what Triandis (1972) referred to as subjective culture, or what
Hofstede (2001) referred to as human mind software: beliefs, values, and internalized interaction
patterns. The man-made environment, which includes everything that people have built, including
institutions and art, is the second type. Two more contrasts in the conception of culture are
discussed by Rohner (1984). To begin, there is a distinction to be made between culture as a set of
behaviour and culture as a set of meanings. Second, some scholars, known as realists, believe
culture has an independent existence, while others, known as nominalists, believe it is a subjective
human construct. These categories necessitate extra attention because they are difficult to grasp.
When we think of Manipur culture, we think of certain indigenous foods, dances, music, and
language, for example. Culture is the cement that holds a group of people together. It represents
not just what we do, but also what we believe. It's deeply ingrained in our personalities and
conduct, resulting in shared principles and values, as well as a sense of shared communal identity.
