What does 'culture' mean to you?

We were asked in a lecture at university to outline one media text which we associate with our own personal cultures, however culture is an incredibly ambiguous term and, as such, I find it hard to identify just one text which truly represents mine. I have therefore decided to describe three different ones so as to give a more accurate depiction of myself.

The first is glossy magazine, Cosmopolitan. This is something I have shared with close female friends for many years, from the age of 13 when I read the less sexualised CosmoGirl, right up until now when my housemates and I pass the grown-up version between us each month and share in the fashion, gossip and lifestyle advice. This is something that I feel represents my culture as a woman and associates me with many others who read the same or similar titles.

As Cosmo affiliates me with an incredibly large cultural group, and I think culture is about far more than gender, I move on to my second media text - the Harry Potter films. These films were shot close to where I grew up and it was common place to have some sort of connection to them, everyone knew someone from the set and in my case I actually was in two of them. If I tell people outside of the Buckinghamshire/Berkshire/Oxfordshire areas this news appears to be incredibly exciting but to me and those who grew up nearby it is nothing that special and is just a part of our culture.

I have now covered aspects of my culture relevant to gender and location, the third and final media text I wish to identify is related to my own personal interests and is the trade title PR Week, which I have only recently started reading. I think that culture is more than about where you came from, it is also about where you are going and, as I hope to enter a career in public relations after I graduate, I feel that this magazine represents my aspirations and goals whilst including content that meets my general interests as a PR student.

These three texts, although quite different, give a basic view of what culture is to me and how I see mine. I think that each individual's culture is forever changing and developing. I find it interesting that my attitude to various aspects of my culture is altered depending on my circumstances. For instance, when I am in the north of the country I feel proud of the fact that I am a southerner, however, when I visit my home-town I take pride in the fact that I moved away and am experiencing something new.

I think that culture connects us with others who share our views, opinions, beliefs or who just happen to live nearby and I think it is something to take pride in and share with other people, after all, that's what it's all about, isn't it?