The 25 Most Important Types Of Culture

Culture is a difficult concept to define, as it is such a complex phenomenon that there is no single criterion to determine what it is and what it is not.

This term is used in a very ambiguous and multifaceted way in everyday language. It can refer to the culture of a country or region, the characteristics of a social class, and many other aspects.

Let’s now explore the different types of culture based on various criteria, providing multiple examples for each.

The Main Types of Culture, Classified

The idea of culture has always been difficult to define. Throughout history, the term “culture” has been reinterpreted in so many ways that practically any behavior can be considered cultural, depending on the criteria used.

In everyday language, culture is understood as the traits, codes, and other aspects of a particular social group, often referring to an ethnic group. However, this same definition can apply to any group, depending on the chosen reference point.

Let’s now examine the different types of culture according to various criteria.

1. According to Knowledge of Writing

One of the most common criteria for classifying cultures is their knowledge of writing, as writing has been the primary tool for transmitting knowledge and cultural heritage within a society. Based on this criterion, we can distinguish between two types of cultures.

1.1. Oral or Unwritten Cultures

Oral cultures, as their name suggests, are those that lack a writing system for transmitting knowledge. Traditions and legends are passed down orally from generation to generation.

Parents tell their children the same stories that their own now-deceased parents once told them. In these cultures, historical time is often perceived as cyclical, meaning that events are believed to repeat themselves sooner or later.

A clear example of this type of culture is found among indigenous tribal communities in Africa. Although many of their languages now have writing systems, many speakers remain unaware of them and continue to transmit knowledge orally.

1.2. Written Cultures

Written cultures are those that possess a writing system, which they use to document their knowledge, history and myths in books or other physical mediums.

In some cases, the culture itself develops its own writing system, as with Egyptian hieroglyphs or the Greek alphabet in Ancient Greece.

In other cases, a literate culture may adopt a foreign writing system better suited to its language. A notable example is modern Turkey, which transitioned from writing in Arabic script (the abjad) to using the Latin alphabet.

2. According to the Mode of Production

Another way to classify cultures is by examining their primary mode of production. This criterion is based on the idea that a culture’s economic activity shapes its social structure and dynamics.

2.1. Nomadic Cultures

A nomadic culture is one that does not establish permanent roots, either economically or in terms of identity, with a specific piece of land. These cultures rely on hunting and gathering, moving to new regions when resources are depleted.

Examples include the Arab Bedouins and several African tribes, who migrate in response to drought or other environmental changes.

2.2. Agricultural or Rural Cultures

Agricultural or rural cultures are those in which farming and animal husbandry are the primary economic activities.

Unlike nomadic cultures, these societies are sedentary, with a strong sense of land ownership. They cultivate and care for their land meticulously, as it is their primary source of sustenance.

The social hierarchy in these cultures is often determined by land ownership, with distinctions between shepherds, ranchers, seasonal workers, and landowners.

While agricultural cultures still exist today, it is rare to find a country that relies entirely on agriculture as its main economic driver. However, in the past, many civilizations were predominantly agrarian. For instance, ancient Egyptian culture was heavily dependent on agriculture along the fertile banks of the Nile River.

2.3. Urban or Commercial Cultures

Urban cultures are those in which commerce serves as the primary economic and social foundation, with city markets functioning as the centers of trade.

Not only food but also clothing, art, and various manufactured goods are bought and sold. Many cities today fall into this category, as their inhabitants’ livelihoods directly or indirectly depend on commerce.

Historically, Europe transitioned from an agricultural to a more urban culture during the Renaissance. This shift saw artisans and merchants emerge as key economic players, laying the foundation for the bourgeoisie.

2.4. Industrial Cultures

Industrial cultures are those that rely on industrialized means of production. Manufacturing products on a large scale is central to their economy.

This type of culture is prevalent in cities across China, India, and many developing countries. Its origins can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, when England shifted from an agrarian economy to an industrial one.

3. According to the Religious Paradigm

Every culture has a dominant or native religion that influences societal beliefs. Each culture has its own interpretations of life, death, and the afterlife, as well as beliefs about who or what controls human destiny. Based on this, we can distinguish the following types of cultures.

3.1. Theistic Cultures

These cultures believe in the existence of one or more gods. Depending on the number of deities, they can be classified as monotheistic (e.g., Christianity, Islam) or polytheistic (e.g., Hinduism, ancient Greek religion).

3.2. Non-Theistic Cultures

Non-theistic cultures do not attribute spiritual authority to a specific deity. Instead, they may venerate nature or a creative force. Examples include Taoism and certain forms of Buddhism.

4. According to the Socioeconomic Order

Cultural differences within a society are often shaped by socioeconomic status, which affects education, worldview, access to information, recognition of rights, and participation in power structures. Since social class significantly influences culture, we can distinguish the following types.

4.1. Elite Culture

Elite culture consists of the codes, values, customs, artistic expressions, and references shared by the dominant groups in society—whether in political, symbolic, or economic terms.

It is often regarded as the “official” or “high” culture, and anything outside of it is sometimes viewed as inferior. Elite culture is prioritized in educational institutions, often promoted through museums, academies, universities, and cultural centers.

Examples include attending the opera, obtaining a university degree, or learning classical literature.

4.2. Popular Culture

Popular culture encompasses the codes, values, customs, traditions, and artistic expressions of the general population.

It is acquired through lived experiences within families, neighborhoods, and peer groups. Due to its association with the working class, some individuals may distance themselves from it, while others embrace or parody it.

Folklore studies have helped preserve and disseminate aspects of popular culture, such as traditional dances, crafts, regional dialects, religious festivals, and popular celebrations.

4.3. Mass Culture

Mass culture is shaped by content disseminated through mass media, such as television and the internet.

This type of culture blurs the lines between elite and popular culture, as lower-class individuals gain access to traditionally elite entertainment (e.g., opera concerts on free digital platforms), while upper-class individuals enjoy popular cultural elements (e.g., folk dance documentaries).

5. According to Internal Power Struggles

In every society, there are dynamics of cultural power struggles. One culture, the hegemonic one, is present in all aspects of society, while others, whether dependent on or opposed to it, must fight to gain a foothold and be recognized. Among these types of cultures, we can find:

5.1. Hegemonic Culture

Hegemonic culture is understood as one that establishes a certain system of codes, patterns, values, customs, or symbols as the norm, making them the most widespread and the ones that must be followed within a society, often using persuasion or coercion.
The hegemonic culture dominates the population and seeks to perpetuate itself, which is why it ends up becoming mandatory and penalizes those who do not share it. The hegemonic culture is frequently identified with the official culture—the “true” culture of the country or region—which must be followed if one wants to enjoy full rights, while the media and institutions themselves may attack any cultural expression that does not align with that hegemonic culture.

5.2. Subaltern Culture

The subaltern culture is one that has a relationship of dependence and submission to the dominant culture, despite differing in some of its aspects. It typically manifests itself in the most vulnerable sectors of society.
It is quite common for individuals belonging to the subaltern culture not to have a clear awareness of their culture as a distinct entity. As a result, they do not organize or exert pressure on the hegemonic culture, nor do they ask for a certain degree of autonomy.

5.3. Alternative Culture

The term “alternative culture” is somewhat ambiguous and quite broad. It refers to the set of artistic and cultural manifestations that present an alternative to hegemonic culture.
Its aim is to open spaces for values or cultural goods promoted by the elite, hegemonic culture and mass media, though it does not necessarily align with popular culture or subaltern culture. Instead, it represents a completely different set of cultural values.

5.4. Counterculture

Counterculture refers to cultures that emerge in opposition to the hegemonic culture, challenging imposed values and trying to spread new paradigms and value systems.
It often fights against hegemonic culture with the intention of eradicating it and usually arises as a response to frustration, social injustice, nonconformity, and resistance, becoming a struggle filled with high demands.

Examples of countercultural movements include feminism, ecological movements, anarchism, anti-communism in the Soviet Union, and the 15M movement.

5.5. Subculture

Within a hegemonic culture, a diversity of marginal cultural groups may form, each developing its own system of values, codes, and patterns. These could be considered minority cultures with defined traits.
Unlike countercultures, subcultures do not seek to challenge the established order, but instead present themselves as cultures interested in one or more aspects of the dominant culture. Therefore, they should not be seen as alternative cultures. Examples include gamers, urban tribes, or fans of a particular music group.

Subculture should not be confused with subaltern culture, as subaltern culture is fragmented and disjointed, meaning there is no awareness of it being the same culture, while in subcultures, there is. Members of a subculture have their own codes, references, and values (e.g., a fan club of a group).

6. According to the Anthropological Sense

On many occasions, the word “culture” is used as a synonym for ethnicity or identity, referring to various aspects such as language, religion, traditions, and other cultural features that define it. In an anthropological sense, we would talk about different types of cultures, such as Catalan culture, Basque culture, Castilian culture, English culture, Sardinian culture, Amish culture, Saami culture, and so on.

7. According to the Historical Context

Cultures can be classified according to historical context, which defines the universe of values in force during a specific period of time. You can practically turn any historical period into a different culture: the culture of Classical Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Victorian era, the Baroque period, the 1960s, or the pre- and post-pandemic 2020 cultures…

8. According to the Gender Perspective

Cultures can be studied by reflecting on how gender influences social organization. There are two types:

8.1. Matriarchal Culture

Matriarchal culture is one that is founded and centered around the female figure, especially the mother. Women act as leaders, particularly in the most basic social group: the family. Although such cultures are not common today, several examples have existed throughout history. The Minangkabau culture in Indonesia is a modern example of a matriarchal culture.

8.2. Patriarchal Culture

Patriarchal culture is one in which the dominant figure in nearly all public and private life is the man. While this control does not always manifest in violent ways, many cultures have done so. A clear example is seen in traditional Muslim cultures, where women are often viewed as passive objects, limited to procreation and child-rearing.

9. According to the Geographical and Geopolitical Perspective

Culture can be classified according to its geographical or geopolitical context. However, this criterion is quite complex, as it reflects a vast array of political interests that change depending on national borders and the relationships between civilizations.

9.1. Globally

Currently, two major cultural power poles are typically distinguished: the West and the East. Western culture has a strong Eurocentric component, rooted in Greco-Roman traditions and Judeo-Christian religion. It is mainly based in the Western Hemisphere and characterized by capitalist systems.
The idea of Eastern culture does not represent a homogeneous concept but serves as a contrast to Western culture. It encompasses a wide range of cultures with diverse religions, languages, origins, and histories. It is traditionally seen as the opposite of the Western world, especially in philosophical and economic terms, with many Eastern countries historically adopting communist economic systems (e.g., the former USSR and China).

9.2. Locally

On a more localized level, we can distinguish various types of culture:

• National culture: refers to the general culture shared within a state, such as Spanish, French, Mexican, American, British, etc.
• Regional culture: refers to the cultures that develop in specific regions within a country, such as Catalan, Sardinian, Zapotec, Cajun, Welsh, etc.

10. According to Conservatism

A culture can be categorized based on its level of conservatism from one generation to the next. Youth have significant power in shaping whether society changes or remains static, just as their parents’ and grandparents’ youth shaped their own cultures. Depending on progress and changes in thinking, there may be a more or less pronounced generational gap.

10.1. Postfigurative

A culture is postfigurative when it is strongly based on repeating and perpetuating customs from the past without any variations. Grandparents, parents, and children share a conservative view of culture, believing it should remain static. This generational behavior is typically seen in primitive societies.

10.2. Cofigurative

Youth in cofigurative cultures do not use the past as a model but rather the behavior of contemporary groups. They want to resemble others in their age group in terms of language, religion, traditions, and other behaviors.
This is often observed in immigrant descendants. When they arrive in a new land, they adapt by acquiring the cultural traits of the region, often differing greatly from their parents who were raised abroad.

10.3. Prefigurative

Youth in prefigurative cultures reject the past and project innovative patterns and behaviors. As a result, adults struggle to understand the new world presented to them, as younger generations hardly share cultural traits with their parents or grandparents.
There is a real generation gap, and the past is seen as a symbol of underdevelopment, backwardness, and stagnation. A historical example of this would be in China during the Cultural Revolution, under Mao Zedong’s government, when a series of reforms aimed to break the country from its imperial past.