Culture is not only art

Some kind readers write to me occasionally to suggest that this column be devoted more frequently (or exclusively) to culture issues. It is evident that they have the common confusion of believing that culture refers only to the fine arts, literature, music, painting and the like, and that is not exact, so it is worth remembering again the common meaning of the word.

As stated, culture refers to the set of knowledge, beliefs and ways of being of society. That means that the cultural is not only music, for example, but also gastronomy, religious beliefs, political problems and forms of communication, among other topics, each of which covers a cultural aspect.

Some scholars use the acronym PERCIA to define and remember what the culture encompasses. Each letter, in its order, represents Politics, Education, Religion, Science and Art, and these five cover the vast majority of human cultural manifestations. Few social activities are left out. It is for this reason that the column is not exclusively devoted to artistic matters, but rather touches on other issues in which the opinion of the columnist is expected to serve a purpose.

Having said this, it goes without saying that the arts are one of the great pleasures of humanity, which show that man knows how to overcome material things in order to dedicate himself to those of the spirit. For that reason, it is common for artistic themes to be touched more than others, which often end up being boring. But it is also necessary to remember what happens in other spheres and when that is done it must be noted that they are also part of the culture.