The controversies around the definition of culture and art and their relationship are numerous. We have certainly come across many definitions and meanings in books and studies that have extensively discussed this subject without providing a clear and comprehensive definition. The most comprehensive definition of culture is perhaps that of English anthropologist Edward Tylor, which he included in his books and studies: culture “is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”
For thousands of years, humans have been expressing and drawing animals, symbols, and signs on cave walls, playing melodies, dancing around fires, and wearing ornaments, jewelry, and dyes to express their feelings and show their belonging to a particular tribe or civilization.
The ways and means have changed, but humans continue to strive to express their culture that represents their identity and that of their society. According to Julien Benda, "Intellectuals are a small segment distinguished by exceptional talent and moral sense. They shape the conscience of mankind and are rare considering the causes of truth and justice they advocate and defend.” Evan Thompson says, "If we were stripped of our culture, we simply wouldn't have the capabilities that make us human.”
This may explain the social intelligence that some readers possess. Through books, they discover new feelings and life experiences that touch their lives and learn about the cultures, customs, and history of other people. They become more open to accepting differences and look at things from different perspectives. It's easy for the reader to put himself in someone else's shoes and find other possibilities before judging him. All this and more makes him come out of his narrow self-world to the wider world and the broader horizon.
Evolutionary psychologists understand that culture creates behaviors that influence the interactive organization of the brain. This is not limited to reading books and novels but includes all the cognitive, emotional, and motor interactions that develop and fail based on conditioned and changing brain interactions, based on the human environment and all the culture and art of society.
When African Americans were oppressed and enslaved, music was a powerful weapon of social discourse. It empowered and motivated them to fight for freedom and dignity. The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 marked the end of slavery and injustice, and Jazz was their way of expressing themselves and emphasizing their identity and their constant fight for their rights. International Jazz Day was announced to celebrate jazz and call for worldwide peace, dialogue, and respect for human rights to eliminate discrimination and promote freedom of expression.
Some people rely on culture and art to influence man and his behavior, and others consider that some personality traits cannot be overcome. They view culture and art as mere tools, and only the person can decide whether or not they influence him. The residuals of childhood and adolescence, which may coincide with the absence of a clear goal and message, and the indulgence in momentary and consumerist pleasures, may obscure the human aspect in us, and make us deal with others based on personal benefit, without any consideration for the concerns and challenges of the other.
In the past few years, I worked for a short time as a librarian. I interviewed writers and artists and met many readers, intellectuals, and those interested in arts of all kinds. Arts and books surrounded me from every direction, my sense of pride was growing day by day, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the amount of visual and auditory supply I was exposed to every day. Books of different genres, paintings of various colors and sizes, and music with eastern and western notes were there.
At that time, I felt that my senses were roaming in a real and beautiful world after they dove and traveled in parallel worlds of books and chose to imagine the places and characters they liked to accompany and live with. I loved watching the visitors' reactions at every reading session, every art exhibition, and every performance night. I watched how people received culture and art differently, as some were taken by them, while others only took a glimpse at them.
I wondered a lot about the impact of culture and art on people, and whether having a real interest in them makes a person more sympathetic and attentive to the issues of other people, and leads him to meditate and listen.
Does culture change us?
These questions came to mind after I met a plastic artist, who has been practicing arts and drawing for more than 34 years. I always watched her as she repaired everything that was broken, celebrated the scraps and paper cups, wrote down the date regardless of their size, kept every stone she stumbled upon, and examined everything walking on the ground. She put bread crumbs for the ants as they moved on the walls, took care of the pets in her house and her many green plants, and treated her surrounding as unfinished paintings, with colors and love.
I am not sure if it is right for culture and art to take the responsibility of influencing and improving us. But I believe that whoever allows the words to touch his soul before his eyes, the painting to transfer him to another dimension, and the music to take over his senses by listening to its social discourse before its melodies, must be positively influenced and change for the best.
References:
