Critical reflections on some recent definitions of “culture”

Abstract

At the outset the historical background of attempts to define “culture” is briefly sketched. Then the definitions found in cross-cultural texts published between 2009 and 2011 are roughly divided into three categories according to where they locate “culture”, and whether they present single or multiple definitions. Each definition is critically examined, as are the relationships between them, and it is shown that several of the definitions are logically and substantively incompatible. It is concluded (with Alfred Lang) that there can be no generally agreed definition of culture, and an alternative proposal is put forward.