Guest Post: Beaten With A Culture Club

We interrupt our regular programing for a PSA from outside The Other Dunwoody. Unedited and without further ado...

culture, noun. the cultivation of microorganisms, as bacteria, or of tissues, for scientific study, medical use, etc.; the product or growth resulting from such cultivation.

Some bacteria is good. Probiotics (allegedly) are good bacteria. Some bacteria is...not so good. Staph comes to mind.

Of course, that's not the only meaning of the word culture.

culture, noun. the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.

This is where we get the idea of "pop culture". This is why almost every newspaper has some section related to "Arts and Culture". This definition really all but excludes the sciences, but we'll even grant it the "human intellectual achievement" part. Why not?

That's it, though. Those are the only two definitions of "culture" (at least according to google).

Now, while these arguably are the only two definitions, there are more uses of the word. People on college campuses LOVE to use that word. Here are a few instances from my own life, and from colleagues who wish to remain even more anonymous.

• "It's the culture here to handhold our scholars through their lifelong journeys of education and development." (spoken by a Dean telling a faculty member to be more flexible with students handing in work late)
• "Just to tell you a bit about the culture, typically someone in my position does not grade homework." (spoken by a TA to the professor they "work" for)
• "Well, my other professors give us typed notes of lectures. Isn't that the culture?" (spoken by many students to many professors)
• "It's not that he's necessarily a misogynist. He's just Russian, and you have to understand their culture." (spoken by a male superior regarding a male insubordinate to a female colleague)

In each of these instances, the speaker did NOT mean the word "culture" (you might think in some weird way the Russian case was the closest appropriate use, but...you want to talk about a comment that insults absolutely everyone involved...).

These speakers mostly meant the word "custom":

custom, noun. a traditional and widely-accepted way of behaving or doing something that is specific to a particular society, place, or time.

So why not use the correct "custom" over the incorrect "culture"? Simple. "Custom" implies tradition, tradition implies stuck-in-your-ways, stuck-in-your-ways implies inflexible, inflexible implies intolerant, and that's just bad. Even if it's what you really mean--you can't use the word nowadays without risking sounding like a bigoted oaf. "Culture", on the other hand, implies intellectual and well-rounded, intellectual and well-rounded imply of-the-world, of-the-world implies open-minded, open-minded implies good. Moreover, using the good word "culture" in reprimanding or dismissing conversations makes the person being reprimanded and dismissed feel in the wrong. Who can say you're an oaf when you're winning TWICE?!

But this is creating a wide-spread issue. Words are no longer being used because of their definitions, but because of their connotations, because of the feelings they elicit. This makes listening to others remarkably confusing--what is this person really trying to say? It also makes speaking a frightening thought--what if you don't realize a word you're using has a connotation that's going to come back to haunt you? Even I have to admit, after 15 years as a student and faculty member of various colleges, I hear/read the word "culture" and cringe.

If you're unconvinced that these seemingly minor things are having an impact, let me present one more bit of evidence (which I will completely admit right now is personal). I do contract work for a company providing pay-by-the-course online classes for 3rd thru 11th graders. The classrooms are chat-based with no video or audio. Weekly all online course instructors get a newsletter with "tips of the week" and other typical newsletter items. Here is one recent tip from a fellow online course instructor:

Teaching in the classroom happens in real time, so it's natural to make a conversational remark here and there. However, be aware of the impression your words leave on students and the classroom environment you’re creating.

For example, in a younger class, there was this [idea] that we covered, and after passing some students' positive comments about the [material], I said something like, "Yeah, it is an intriguing [idea]."  The students then began to [use] that word, "intriguing," later on in the lesson. It made me realize the impact that my descriptors have, and made me want to be more careful to ensure that my descriptors are as accurate and positive as possible.

We are joking, right?

Once more unto the lexicographic breach (but I'll take it away from here). "Intriguing" means creating a sense of intrigue. Intrigue has as synonyms fascination, wonderment, and curiosity. I will now argue that especially in a classroom setting, this word being used by faculty and student alike is GOOD. And yet this example of the use of the word "intrigue" is in a paragraph in the "pro-tip" section for online course instructors which ends with the punchline that descriptors need to be as "positive as possible".

Clearly (though this is a low blow) at least one person does not know what the word "intrigue" means. But doesn't it make you wonder what inappropriate prior uses of that word have made the pro-tip writer think it's so negative? What word was actually meant instead? Is it not sad that an instructor uses the word "intriguing" in a classroom and almost immediately regrets it?

Just remember: "culture" is a plate of bacteria. Not a socially-accepted form of traditionalism to which you must conform. Don't follow the culture--you're a better life form.