Culture is learned behavior.

Culture is learned behavior. By individuals.

Culture is learned behavior. By individuals. Of a given group or groups.

Culture is learned behavior. By individuals.

While our family plays an important role in shaping our cultural values, as we grow older, we accept or reject the traditions we've been exposed to. We then add to these traditions our own life experiences creating a unique "me," our "personal" culture.

This ad for the Richmond Symphony exploits every parent's cultural fears. "When she was eight, her mother had the chance to take her to see "Tubby the Tuba." She didn't."

According to this ad, the lack of proper cultural exposure by this girl's mother led the daughter down a path of tattooed degradation. At least this ad blames the mother for her daughter's "wantonness" and not the media.

When children reject the culture of their parents, people want someone or something to blame.

One of the endearing villains is "the media." In the 1950's, the US Senate held hearings on the evils of comic books. To avoid government censorship, the comic industry passed strict voluntary censorship laws. Did family values improve?

In 17th Century England, the ruling Jacobites shut down the theaters for corrupting the morals of the country. Family values didn't improve.

In 399 BC, Socrates was condemned to death for "corrupting the youth" of Athens with his teaching. Family values didn't improve with his death.

The 2004 Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction" has led to a renewed focus of the role of the media in creating contemporary cultural values.

Culture is learned behavior. By individuals. Of a given group. Or groups.

Surrounded by many different "cultures," we choose which ones to join. And we can move from one culture to another as needed, displaying one culture around our family, another around our friends, a different one at work.

Tension happens when people use a culture inappropriate for the setting, such as using street culture in a business meeting.

More tension occurs because people are often uncomfortable around strange cultures.

We'll talk more about these different cultures and the role the media plays in creating a "common" culture later on in Module 2.