Romania Essay -- Sociology, Romanian Culture

Romanian Culture Introduction Culture can be defined as the way of life associated with a community or a group of people, including their beliefs, traditions, rituals, art, behavior, and thoughts. It describes the â€Å"shared patterns of belief, feeling, and adaptation, which people carry in their minds† (Storey 45). Thus, culture can be conceptualized as an organized set of ideas, habits, as well as conditioned responses shared by members of a given society. This paper discusses the concept of culture by focusing on the Romanian culture. The physical geography of Romania, its weather pattern, contributions and civil considerations will also be discussed by evaluating the factors of ASCOPE. Characteristics that Define Culture A typical culture has the following characteristics. Firstly, culture may be learned and acquired over time (Storey 56). The various beliefs, values, or traditions shared by the population can only be considered cultural, if they can be learned and shared. Culture can be learned or acquired through imitation, indoctrination, and conditioning. Secondly, culture may be transmitted in the society over time. This means that it must be passed on to future generations through communication and understanding. Thirdly, culture is a social phenomenon (Storey 61). It may be normally developed through the interaction of individuals within a large group, such as a society. Fourthly, culture can be developed through ideology. Ideas and symbols are indispensable tools that may be used to give meaning to individuals’ experiences and their environment in various cultures. Thus, individuals tend to perceive their world in accordance with the stand-point of their culture. Fifthly, culture faci litates the satisfaction of hu... ...omanian. The other common language is Hungarian, which is spoken by seven percent of the population. About 1.5 percent of the population speaks German and Romanian. Conclusion From the above discussion, culture can be described as an organized set of ideas, habits, as well as conditioned responses that are shared by members of a given society. Every community or country has a culture that is unique to it. The Romanian culture is characterized by rich tradition, ethnical artifacts, and folklore (Brace 24). The interactions between Romanians and the tribes that invaded the region helped in developing and shaping the Romanian culture. Despite the effect of such interactions, the main elements of Romanian culture, such as traditions and folklore should be preserved. Today, young Romanians, especially those living in the cities, tend to adopt the western lifestyle.