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52 Examples of the Cultural Environment

John Spacey, updated on January 16, 2024

A cultural environment is the real world culture found in a place such as a community or society. This is most typically a mix of traditional and modern cultures that overlap and interact in complex ways. For example, national culture, city culture, neighborhood cultures, family cultures, youth cultures, subcultures and global cultures are all likely to be part of the cultural environment experienced by an individual over their lifetime. The following are common examples of the cultural environment.

Aesthetics	Artistic traditions
Celebrations	Ceremonies
Communication styles	Craft traditions
Cuisine	Cultural change
Cultural diversity	Customs
Dance traditions	Dining practices
Etiquette	Fashion
Festivals	Folklore
Gestures	Grooming practices
Holidays	Hospitality customs
Intercultural communication	Language
Language diversity	Literature
Material culture	Media culture
Morality	Multiculturalism
Music traditions	Myths & legends
Narratives	Non-verbal communication
Norms	Pastimes
Performing arts	Philosophical beliefs
Politeness	Rights & freedoms
Rites of passage	Roles & responsibilities
Sense of collectivism	Sense of individualism
Sensibilities	Shared references
Slang	Social expectations
Symbolism	Time perception
Traditional clothing	Values
Work ethic	Worldview

Norms

Norms are the unspoken rules, expectations and assumptions of a culture. For example the unspoken rule that you cover your mouth when coughing.

Traditions

Practices that have been sustained over many generations. These provide stability, common references, cross-generational experiences and are typically designed to make life meaningful and rich.

Cultural Beliefs

Culture can influence a great range of beliefs, values, attitudes and perceptions.

Summary

Culture includes norms, traditions and beliefs that potentially influence every aspect of life. The cultural environment is often complex with many cultures overlapping such that individuals have to decide which culture to apply to each situation. The following is an overview of the cultural environment with more examples.