ABSTRACT
This chapter explores ideas or assumptions about the fundamental nature of culture and linguistic and cultural socialization. It draws on literature from a broad range of disciplines we explore the following facets of the culture concept: culture as learned; culture as shared; culture as relative; culture as dynamic and mediated; culture as individual, fragmentary, and imaginary, culture as contested; and culture as communication. Cultural values and beliefs cover many aspects of society; together they form an individual’s perception of the world. Cultures may be distinguished from one another by a wide variety of means such as geographical location, language, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliation, clothing and food. Children acquire language and culture together in what is basically an integrated process. As well as dominant cultures, numerous smaller cultures coexist in the same environment. Identifiable groups within the larger cultural context are referred to as subcultures, subgroups, or co-cultures.
