摘要
It proves to be a tough job to define culture and to draw characteristics of culture or work out the categories of culture. Based on some influential definitions, and achievements made in sociology and anthropology, this paper makes an attempt to summarize and discuss some characteristics of culture. With regard to the categorization of culture, we put forward the idea that it is closely related to the definition and features of culture, and also that it is closely related with human cognition and different perspectives, and thus culture category is an open system just as culture in general. Cultural development as product of human evolution and development is both a need and reality, going on through cultural transmission. In the process, it is human nature to encounter cultural conflicts like culture shock, the solution of which partially depends on cultural studies, on a close relationship with the main school of culture or dominating culture and on seeking similarities and accepting differences, and in a word, on friendly and cordial contacts and understanding through linguistic communication.
给文化下定义井总结文化的特点是巨大而复杂的工程，其中最棘手的两项莫过于对文化进行分类，以及弄清楚文化发展的本质。本文依据一部分文化定义试总结文化的特点，并根据两大文化研究阵营——社会学和人类学——的研究成果讨论文化的特点。对于文化的分类，本文认为，一方面，分类和文化的定义及特点密切相关，有助于我们对文化进一步认识，同时，文化的分类又是建立在人类认知能力和对文化的认知基础之上的。反映着文化分类的不同视角，是一个开放的体系。文化发展是人类发展的必然结果和产物，既是一种需要，也是一个现实。文化发展主要通过文化传承和传播两种形式进行。在文化传承和传播过程中出现的文化冲突、文化休克等问题可以通过深化文化学习、反思文化归属、依靠主流文化和求同存异等文化策略，通过不同文化群体之间的沟通和帮助得以弱化甚至化解。
