Culture consists of learned ways of acting, feeling and thinking, rather than biologically determined ways. The British anthropologist Sir Edward Burnett Tylor defined culture as "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." Tylor's definition includes three of the most important characteristics of culture: (1) Culture is acquired by people. (2) A person acquires culture as a member of society. (3) Culture is a complex whole.

Culture is acquired by people because it consists of learned patterns of behavior rather than the biologically determined ones that are sometimes called instinctive. Culture is a complex whole that social scientists can break down into simple units called 'cultural traits.' A trait may be a custom, such as burial of the dead; a device, such as a plow; a gesture, such as a handshake; or and idea, such as democracy.

What are basic elements of all cultures? All cultures have features that result from basic needs shared by all people. Every culture has methods of obtaining food and shelter. Every culture has ways to protect itself against invaders. It also has family relationships including forms of marriage and systems of kinship. A culture has religious beliefs and a set of practices to express them. All societies have forms of artistic expression such as carving, painting and music. In addition, all cultures have some type of scientific knowledge. This knowledge may be folklore about the plants people eat and the animals they hunt, or it may be a highly developed science.

How do cultures differ? Cultures differ in their details from one part of the world to another. For example, eating is a biological need. But what people eat, when and how they eat, and how food is prepared differ from culture to culture.

When did culture develop and how? The foundation for human culture developed in the prehistoric times. Some important steps were (1) the development of tools, (2) the start of farming, (3) the growth of cities, and (4) the development of writing.

Hunters/Gatherers. The ancestors of human beings lived by gathering fruit, insects and edible leaves and by catching small animals with their hands. They took the first steps toward the development of culture at least 5 million years ago, when they learned to make and use tools. Many of the earliest tools were sharp-edged rocks used for cutting and scraping. The sharp edge was produced by hitting or grinding one rock with another.

Farmers/Villages. By a little more than 2 1/2 million years ago the earliest human beings had developed and had learned to hunt large animals. With better hunting, the food supply improved and the population increased. To feed the growing population, the hunters killed more game. After large animals became scarce, some people had to turn to planting crops and raising animals for food. They became the first farmers.

Pottery/Basket making. The farmers could produce enough crops that many people could be freed from the task of raising food. These people developed new skills such as pottery making, weaving, basket making and other crafts. By about 3500 cities appeared.