Why Culture? A Sociological Perspective on Its Complexity and Importance

The Role of Culture in Societal Self-Understanding
Sociologist Dirk Baecker writes that culture is crucial for societal self-understanding. It helps society critically reflect on itself, not as a static set of values but as a dynamic process that adapts to new possibilities. This reflection creates a space for constant evolution, where past societal practices are continuously reexamined. Culture is inherently linked to an open future—a future where present practices are scrutinized and transformed based on emerging conditions. This view pushes society beyond rigid definitions, toward an appreciation of uncertainty and openness to change.

The Necessity of Cultural Competence
The need for cultural competence—understanding and navigating different cultures—predates modern globalization. Historically, traders, warriors, and travelers had to engage with people from different cultural backgrounds, learning to communicate effectively, avoid misunderstandings, and respect foreign customs. Today, globalization has amplified the importance of cultural competence. As people interact across cultural boundaries in business, education, and daily life, they must find ways to communicate and collaborate despite differences.

Cultural competence in a globalized world is not just about understanding others; it’s also about understanding one's own biases and assumptions. This self-awareness is vital in navigating the complexities of modern communication. But while cultural competence seeks to create understanding between cultures, it can also reinforce the differences shaped by historical contexts, power imbalances, and colonial legacies.

Culture as a Second-Order Concept
Culture, according to Baecker, is best understood as a second-order concept—something that cannot be defined precisely but can be observed through its own processes of observation. This reflects a constructivist perspective, where we understand culture because we participate in it. Culture maintains social order by thematizing it, which means that it preserves and critiques societal norms simultaneously.

Modern society views culture as a mechanism for reflection. Through observing and critiquing its own practices, society learns and adapts. This reflexivity highlights culture’s complexity and its importance in shaping social order.

The Evolution of Culture: Ancient, Modern, and Postmodern
Baecker distinguishes three historical phases of culture: ancient, modern, and postmodern. Each phase reflects a different way of understanding and interacting with culture.
1. In ancient times, culture was tied to specific practices such as agriculture or philosophy, with the focus on maintaining balance between human control and external forces like fate or divine intervention. Priests were the cultural workers who teached people to accept fate and divine intervention.
2. In the 17th century, the modern era introduced a new way of thinking about culture, marked by comparison between societies and historical periods. Intellectuals analyzed how humans lived and whether they were happier in a state of nature or civilization.
3. Today, we live in a postmodern cultural era characterized by uncertainty and fluidity. Cultural workers now challenge established systems, using new technologies like media and programming to expose contradictions within societal codes. This ongoing questioning has become a defining feature of postmodern culture.

Culture’s Reflexive Nature and Societal Impact
Culture today functions as a system of reflection, a memory of society that guides future actions by referencing the past. Niklas Luhmann describes culture as the memory of society, a system that reflects on past societal conditions to influence future actions. This recognition of societal contingency—where nothing is fixed or absolute—creates both anxiety and opportunity. It allows us to recognize that we are responsible for shaping our social conditions, turning uncertainty into a foundation for building productive relationships.

Culture promotes skepticism, yet it also holds onto foundational beliefs and assumptions. This paradox of self-doubt and self-assurance is central to how culture operates today. Success in this field often involves highlighting uncertainty and contradiction.

The Future of Culture: Challenges and Opportunities
As we look to the future, Baecker suggests that culture will continue to evolve, potentially addressing new challenges posed by ecological and societal issues. The role of technology—especially in data processing and multimedia—will likely shape future cultural discourses. In this sense, culture may become even more intertwined with knowledge of codes and systems.

Culture’s future may be defined by a balance between reality and unreality, with new forms of knowledge emerging from societal corrections and confrontations. The key challenge for cultural workers will be to navigate this balance, using new tools and technologies to explore and critique the underlying structures of society.

Culture as a Continuum of Discontinuities
Historically, culture has been understood as a continuum of discontinuities, where breaks or ruptures—such as the division between the useful and the beautiful, or between nature and society—are integral to its development. Thinkers from Rousseau to Kant, and later theorists like Dilthey and Parsons, have viewed culture as a complex system that both differentiates and connects various societal elements. It serves as a dual force: a critique of existing social structures and a means of orientation within them.

The Doubling Function of Culture
One of the most intriguing aspects of culture is its "doubling" function, as highlighted by theorists like Niklas Luhmann. Culture allows society to reflect on itself through signs and symbols, offering a second level of observation. For example, a tool like a knife is not just a functional object but also a symbol with deeper cultural meanings, such as human predation or technological progress.

This doubling enables society to generate new meanings, but it also introduces a kind of alienation from the original, practical state of things. Culture is a self-referential system that reflects on itself and its distinctions, perpetuating uncertainty.

The Aesthetic Dimension and the Crisis of Modernity
Culture also plays a significant role in the aesthetic realm, offering individuals a way to reflect on societal norms through art and creativity. Thinkers like Kant explored how aesthetics allows individuals to navigate the tension between self-determination and societal expectations.

Moreover, modern culture is deeply connected to the temporal dimension, particularly the shift from traditional understandings of time to a more modern focus on past versus future. This shift creates a sense of instability in the present, where culture serves as a way to process the uncertainties of modern life.

Conclusion
Culture, in its modern sense, is a dynamic tool for navigating the complexities of social life. It operates as both a stabilizer and a disruptor, offering individuals and societies a means to reflect on, critique, and potentially transcend established norms. This reflexive nature of culture ensures its ongoing relevance, even as it remains a paradoxical and often contentious force within society.