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Culture vs. Lifestyle — What's the Difference?

By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 7, 2024
Culture encompasses shared values, beliefs, and practices of a group, while lifestyle refers to individual habits and choices within or influenced by one's cultural context.
Culture vs. Lifestyle — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Culture and Lifestyle

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Key Differences

Culture represents the collective practices, languages, traditions, and values that characterize a group or society. It shapes how people perceive the world and interact within it. On the other hand, lifestyle is more about personal choices and behaviors that express individual identity, often influenced by one’s cultural background.
Culture is generally passed down through generations, embedding deeper societal norms and customs. Whereas lifestyle is more fluid, reflecting personal or immediate social influences like trends or personal beliefs.
Culture often dictates broader societal roles and expectations, setting the framework within which lifestyles develop. Conversely, lifestyle can reflect personal adaptations or departures from these cultural norms, showcasing personal agency and preference.
While culture is often seen as a shared community asset, lifestyle is distinctly personal, highlighting how individuals navigate and express their cultural heritage. Lifestyles can change more dynamically and quickly than cultures, which tend to evolve more gradually.

Comparison Chart

Definition

The shared practices, beliefs, and norms of a group.
Individual choices and behaviors within a societal context.
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Scope

Broad, encompassing entire communities or societies.
Personal and can vary widely even within the same culture.

Transmission

Passed down through generations and institutions.
Developed through personal experiences and choices.

Stability

Relatively stable and slow to change.
Highly dynamic and subject to change.

Influence

Shapes societal norms and collective identity.
Reflects personal identity and social affiliations.

Compare with Definitions

Culture

Socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought.
The culture in India is diverse, with multiple religions coexisting.

Lifestyle

A set of attitudes, habits, or possessions associated with a particular person or group.
The urban lifestyle tends to be faster-paced and more tech-oriented than rural living.

Culture

A set of shared beliefs, values, and practices that characterizes a group or society.
The culture of Japan is noted for its traditional arts like tea ceremonies and calligraphy.

Lifestyle

A way of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group.
A nomadic lifestyle involves moving from place to place rather than settling permanently.

Culture

The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.
The Maasai culture is known for its distinctive dress and rituals.

Lifestyle

The habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, and the amount of goods and services that one is accustomed to.
His lifestyle changed dramatically after he won the lottery.

Culture

A way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization.
The company culture emphasizes innovation and teamwork.

Lifestyle

Personal behaviors and habits that characterize how a person lives.
Veganism is not just a diet, but a lifestyle choice impacting multiple aspects of living.

Culture

The collective intellectual achievements of a society, including arts, literature, and education.
Ancient Greek culture has profoundly influenced Western philosophy and sciences.

Lifestyle

A distinctive mode of living in relation to the search for values.
Minimalist lifestyle choices can lead to a less cluttered and stressful life.

Culture

Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Humans acquire culture through the learning processes of enculturation and socialization, which is shown by the diversity of cultures across societies. A cultural norm codifies acceptable conduct in society; it serves as a guideline for behavior, dress, language, and demeanor in a situation, which serves as a template for expectations in a social group.

Lifestyle

A way of life or living of a person or group
An unconventional lifestyle.
Money needed to maintain one's lifestyle.

Culture

The arts, beliefs, customs, institutions, and other products of human work and thought considered as a unit, especially with regard to a particular time or social group
Edwardian culture.
Japanese culture.

Lifestyle

A style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group.

Culture

These arts, beliefs, and other products considered with respect to a particular subject or mode of expression
Musical culture.
Oral culture.

Lifestyle

(marketing) The totality of the likes and dislikes of a particular section of the market, especially when expressed in terms of the products and services that they would buy; a marketing strategy based on the self-image of such a group.

Culture

The set of predominating attitudes and behavior that characterize a group or organization
A manager who changed the corporate culture.

Lifestyle

A manner of living that reflects the person's values and attitudes

Culture

Mental refinement and sophisticated taste resulting from the appreciation of the arts and sciences
A woman of great culture.

Culture

Special training and development
Voice culture for singers and actors.

Culture

The cultivation of soil; tillage
The culture of the soil.

Culture

The breeding or cultivation of animals or plants for food, the improvement of stock, or other purposes.

Culture

The growing of microorganisms, tissue cells, or other living matter in a specially prepared nutrient medium.

Culture

Such a growth or colony, as of bacteria.

Culture

To cultivate (soil or plants).

Culture

To grow (microorganisms or other living matter) in a specially prepared nutrient medium.

Culture

To use (a substance) as a medium for culture
Culture milk.

Culture

The arts, customs, lifestyles, background, and habits that characterize humankind, or a particular society or nation.

Culture

The beliefs, values, behaviour and material objects that constitute a people's way of life.

Culture

The conventional conducts and ideologies of a community; the system comprising the accepted norms and values of a society.

Culture

(anthropology) Any knowledge passed from one generation to the next, not necessarily with respect to human beings.

Culture

(botany) Cultivation.

Culture

(microbiology) The process of growing a bacterial or other biological entity in an artificial medium.

Culture

The growth thus produced.
I'm headed to the lab to make sure my cell culture hasn't died.

Culture

A group of bacteria.

Culture

(cartography) The details on a map that do not represent natural features of the area delineated, such as names and the symbols for towns, roads, meridians, and parallels.

Culture

(archaeology) A recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place that may constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society.

Culture

(euphemism) Ethnicity, race (and its associated arts, customs, etc.)

Culture

(transitive) to maintain in an environment suitable for growth especially of bacteria cultivate}}

Culture

(transitive) to increase the artistic or scientific interest in something cultivate}}

Culture

The act or practice of cultivating, or of preparing the earth for seed and raising crops by tillage; as, the culture of the soil.

Culture

The act of, or any labor or means employed for, training, disciplining, or refining the moral and intellectual nature of man; as, the culture of the mind.
If vain our toilWe ought to blame the culture, not the soil.

Culture

The state of being cultivated; result of cultivation; physical improvement; enlightenment and discipline acquired by mental and moral training; civilization; refinement in manners and taste.
What the Greeks expressed by their paidei`a, the Romans by their humanitas, we less happily try to express by the more artificial word culture.
The list of all the items of the general life of a people represents that whole which we call its culture.

Culture

The cultivation of bacteria or other organisms (such as fungi or eukaryotic cells from mulitcellular organisms) in artificial media or under artificial conditions.

Culture

Those details of a map, collectively, which do not represent natural features of the area delineated, as names and the symbols for towns, roads, houses, bridges, meridians, and parallels.

Culture

To cultivate; to educate.
They came . . . into places well inhabited and cultured.

Culture

A particular society at a particular time and place;
Early Mayan civilization

Culture

The tastes in art and manners that are favored by a social group

Culture

All the knowledge and values shared by a society

Culture

(biology) the growing of microorganisms in a nutrient medium (such as gelatin or agar);
The culture of cells in a Petri dish

Culture

(bacteriology) the product of cultivating micro-organisms in a nutrient medium

Culture

A highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality;
They performed with great polish
I admired the exquisite refinement of his prose
Almost an inspiration which gives to all work that finish which is almost art

Culture

The attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization;
The developing drug culture
The reason that the agency is doomed to inaction has something to do with the FBI culture

Culture

The raising of plants or animals;
The culture of oysters

Common Curiosities

How is culture transmitted?

Culture is primarily transmitted through language, education, family, and societal institutions.

Can lifestyle affect culture?

Yes, as lifestyles evolve, they can influence and sometimes change cultural norms and expectations.

What defines culture?

Culture is defined by the shared values, practices, and beliefs of a community or society.

What lifestyle changes could indicate cultural adaptation?

Adopting local customs and changing daily habits can indicate adaptation to a different culture.

How do individual lifestyles reflect broader cultural values?

Individual lifestyles can mirror broader cultural values in choices related to food, clothing, and social interactions.

How does culture influence lifestyle?

Culture provides the framework within which lifestyles develop, influencing choices and behaviors.

Are lifestyle choices personal or influenced by society?

Lifestyle choices are personal but are often influenced by cultural and societal contexts.

Can global influences change local cultures and lifestyles?

Yes, global influences like media and technology can rapidly alter local cultures and lifestyles.

What is an example of how culture can shape lifestyle?

In cultures valuing community, lifestyles may emphasize social gatherings and collective activities.

How does technology affect lifestyles and cultures?

Technology has a significant impact on lifestyles and cultures, shaping the way we interact, communicate, and behave.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Fiza Rafique
Fiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj Arif
Urooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.

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