What is culture?

I believe the culture is the most powerful human tool to differ from other wild animals. Since human had lived as a group or family, the culture started from there. They used to hunt for eating, build shelter for living safely, wear furs for keeping warm, interact for understand each other. Those are the basics of culture. That is constantly changing and easily lost because it exists in our mind. Our government, building, clothes, written language and other man-made things are actually product of the culture. But they are not culture in themselves. For example archeologists dig up for remainder of ancient people's stuffs from underground. They can't find culture directly from there, things that were found are only materials. People learn and inherit the culture from generation to generation. As a result without human there is no culture at all.

I am totally agree with the quote "Never judge a culture by one man and never judge a man by popular culture." The culture is not about one man (individual), there must be at least ethnicity or nation. One man can't tell all about culture from his appearance, talk and behavior. I think the best thing to get know more about the culture is live inside the culture. I mean live in Japan if you want to know more about Japanese culture. I am experiencing now that I am living in Oxford to have better knowledge of American culture. When I am generalizing American culture, I have to meet a lot of people, associate with mass media of US, read a lot. I shouldn't depend on only stereotypes or rumors.

I want people to perceive my culture optimistically. There are many negative stereotypes about my country. Such as: people in Mongolia don't live in city, they don't have computer or internet, everybody still rides a horse. I want to correct some misunderstood ideas about Mongolia when I talk or meet people from the U.S. It seems like no Mongolian in Oxford area, so I am the one who represent my county here. Likewise, I am the sole ambassador here in Ole Miss, Oxford,MS.