Definition of culture and cultural practice

---

It is important, in order to understand how to frame the cultural otherness under analysis within the legal case, to be clear about the concept of culture as understood in the discipline of anthropology.
For the purposes of the effective use of the Guidebook, we could define culture as a 'web of significances',[1] a semiotic system within which communication takes place that everyone is able to understand because they know the codes for interpreting the signs of the social group.[2] In short, it is that set of rules, lifestyles, ways of thinking, feeling and acting that are shared by the group and socially acquired by the members of a society.[3]
At the same time, the expression 'cultural practice' considers that set of customs, norms, behaviours and values that guide, regulate and characterise the actions of a given social group. Cultural practices, or culturally motivated behaviours, are thus that repertoire of practices and habits (including religious ones) that a human being recognises as part of the society to which he or she belongs, and towards which he or she feels a feeling (and a need) of belonging and identification.
In light of this, when questioning someone about their cultural (and religious) practices and customs or symbol system, it is advisable to bear in mind that most practices are performed out of habit, out of conformity, and not in a reasoned and organised manner. Suffice it to consider how we ourselves, in all our socially conditioned behaviour, do not act with our culture and its social implications consciously in mind, but rather operate in a spontaneous and unconscious manner.
 


[1] Geertz, C. Ibid.

[2] For a closer look at the definition and meaning of culture in anthropology, we recommend Kilani, M., 1994, Anthropology. Una introduzione, Dedalo, Bari, or Hannerz, U., 1998, La complessità culturale, Il Mulino, Bologna and Remotti, F., Cultura. Dalla complessità all'impoverimento, Roma-Bari, Laterza.

[3] It is important to remember that this process of symbolisation and collective organisation of the members of a social group is not linear, not homogenous or easily definable, and not static in time. Rather, it presents itself as a set of changing relationships and in constant redefinition and re-symbolisation, which is potentially subject to change, just like the other social aspects of any civilisation, such as religion and language.