European Culture

The first complexity of trying to discuss the topic of European Culture is coming to an agreement of the definition. There are various types of faultlines that break of portions of what may or may not be considered Europe that differ from each other in their religion or history to such an extent that a definite line becomes apparent.

European culture is probably better described as a series of overlapping European cultures. Sometimes the major lines of separation of Europe are Protestantism and Catholicism as opposed to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, or Christianity against Islam. There is also the great East and West divide of European culture and layout. It is thee cultural faultlines that seem to distinguish the various portions of European life.

A problem in defining culture is where does European culture begin and where does it end? One of the major cultural faultlines is that of the Catholic-Orthodox divide csued by the Great Schism. This Great Schism is responsible for isolating Russia, Belarus, Serbia and half of the Ukraine.

Another type of European culture fault line is that dividing parts of Europe that went through industrialization in the nineteenth century, and those that did not. Included in the portions of Europe that went through industrialization were Bohemia and Northern Italy.

One of the most major fault lines of European culture dates back to a portion of dividing lands that were occupied by the Roman Empire, thus splitting Europe into two main portions. This definite line ran through Hadrian’s Wall in the British Isles, alongside the Rhine River and along the Danube. This played such a major role in the development of European culture as a whole, that there is still evidence of the division in many areas of culture today.

One of the most recent cultural faultlines is that of the Iron Curtain. All of these major distinctions are important for identifying which countries should be admitted to the European Union, for example. So you see, discussion of a common European culture of a common set of values is far more complex that it may first seem.

More recently, the European Union has begun to attempt organizing a set of ‘common European values’. This topic of debate has become quite lively and complex, as you can imagine. Some progress was made when the distinction of Europeans standing for solidarity among diverse nations and cultures, as well as social cohesion. The agreed point being that these values are set in opposition to those of more individualistic values of the United States.

Languages are as diverse in European culture as the nations and sub-cultures involved. Most European countries have at least one official language. Russian is the most common language in Europe, followed by German. The European Uniion recognizes twenty different languages as equal and official languages. Interestingly, the cost of translation processing among European Union members is costly enough that the topic of deciding on one official language is routinely raised.

European culture has a vastly broad influence stretching far beyond the European continent. In a broader sense, it is European culture that is being referred to wth the term ‘Western Civilization’. European citizens have settled parts of the Americas, Africa, India and Australia. Europe continues to influence culture around the world, from fashion to social progress and scientific advances.

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