Page 76 of the Textbook defines culture first as a certain kind of opposite of nature, and then as a system of meaning that guides in the construction of reality in a social community.
I think that one merit of this definition is that it helps one understand that culture is not only in the conduct of people belonging to a community, but especially in the meaning that one may ascribe to that conduct. For example, it was considered good manners a few centuries ago in the Middle East for a guest to belch after eating his food, indicating satisfaction with the meal offered. But the same conduct in the West might be seen as offensive, indicating a lack of self-restraint on the part of the guest. Hence the same conduct (belching) is seen as good in one culture and bad in another, since the meaning ascribed to the conduct varies with the perception of the community.
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Acknowledging and understanding different customs and cultural practices is an important part of transitioning to a life in another country. If the definition of culture is: "a system of meaning that guides the construction of reality" (p. 76), the study of a language is an important key to understanding a culture. Having been born overseas, I originally learned to speak English in a British dialect. When I started school in this country I endured some embarrassing moments due to the fact that the same words can can have different uses and interpretations in another culture. Although I didn't see it from a scholastic perspective at the time, watching television helped me to transition to an American dialect, as well as to understand the values inherent in American culture.
Living in a foreign country, visiting a foreign country, or even reading about other countries sounds the best way to understand the real meaning of culture. Like you said, culture is not only how people behave, but also how behaviors are interpreted by people.
Brazilians, for instance, rarely spend a weekend without having some barbecue with family and friends. Cow meat is the main item on our barbecues, and we greatly appreciate it. On the other hand, Indians see cow as a sacred animal, and they would never introduce cow barbecues into their culture.
People tend to appreciate and truly respect other cultures after living abroad, visiting foreign countries, or even reading about other cultures. These are the most effective ways to understand that it is not all about our own culture. There is so much out there to be discovered and appreciated. But one only will be able to realize it after opening himself/herself to the diverse elements of other cultures. At the end it is not about good or bad, it is about culture.
Garota de Ipanema makes an important point about the importance of visiting or living in another country to develop a greater appreciation of others' customs, practices, and norms. When I was in Australia last year I attended several faculty meetings and functions. They served food and alcohol--even at meetings. It seemed that participants got just as much done, but the conversation was friendlier and more collegial than in the U.S. I liked the informality (which is one reason I live in Santa Cruz).
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