Exploring the Structures of Culture: Surface, Shallow, and Deep Layers
Culture, as an influential force in shaping human societies, operates through multiple layers and dimensions. Scholars across fields such as anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and cultural studies have developed various frameworks for understanding how culture functions, how it is inherited, and how it shapes the epistemological, ontological, and cosmological structures of human thought and behavior. The concept of surface, shallow, and deep culture offers a way to differentiate between the visible and invisible aspects of culture and provides insights into how these layers influence human perception, belief systems, and worldviews—often in ways that are unconscious and unquestioned.
This article explores critical authors and their contributions to the study of culture and its various layers, focusing on how these frameworks intersect with deeper structures of knowledge (epistemology), being (ontology), and worldview (cosmology). These cultural frameworks reveal how much of what we inherit is not merely a set of social customs but deeply rooted beliefs and orientations that often remain unexamined. By examining these layers, we can better understand how culture both constrains and enables human action and thought.
Critical Authors and Theories on the Structures of Culture
One of the foundational figures in the study of culture is Edward T. Hall, whose work on intercultural communication introduced the idea of high-context and low-context cultures. In his book Beyond Culture (1976), Hall argued that cultures could be understood by the degree of shared background knowledge and implicit communication. High-context cultures rely heavily on shared, often unspoken, cultural norms, while low-context cultures tend to be more explicit in their communication.
In addition to his work on context, Hall developed the concept of surface and deep culture, which describes how certain aspects of culture are visible, while others are hidden and less accessible. Surface culture includes visible manifestations like language, dress, food, and social customs, whereas deep culture involves values, beliefs, and worldviews that are often invisible but powerful in shaping behavior.
Another important scholar in the study of culture is Clifford Geertz, whose interpretive anthropology sought to understand culture as a "system of symbols" through which humans create meaning. In his essay Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture (1973), Geertz argued that culture is not merely behavior but a web of meanings that individuals and communities use to interpret their actions and the world around them. For Geertz, understanding culture requires an in-depth interpretation of these symbols and their meanings, which often operate at both surface and deep levels.
Pierre Bourdieu, a French sociologist, contributed significantly to our understanding of culture's deep structures through his concept of habitus. In his work Outline of a Theory of Practice (1972), Bourdieu argued that culture is embodied in individuals as dispositions—unconscious ways of thinking and acting that are shaped by one’s social environment. These dispositions, or the habitus, are inherited through socialization and are largely taken for granted. Bourdieu emphasized that culture operates through the reproduction of social structures that are deeply embedded in everyday practices, often without conscious awareness.
These scholars, among others, have laid the foundation for understanding how culture operates at various levels, from the surface manifestations of behavior to the deep structures that shape thought and perception.
Surface, Shallow, and Deep Culture: A Framework for Understanding
The idea of categorizing culture into surface, shallow, and deep layers provides a useful framework for examining how different aspects of culture interact with knowledge systems and worldviews. This tripartite model allows us to explore how cultural norms and values are transmitted and how they influence behavior, often unconsciously.
Surface Culture: Surface culture refers to the outward, visible aspects of culture that are easily observed by outsiders. These include artifacts, clothing, language, music, food, and festivals. Surface culture is often the most accessible aspect of a culture, but it provides only a superficial understanding of a society. Tourists, for instance, can observe and even participate in surface cultural activities without fully engaging with the underlying values and meanings that guide those behaviors.
Shallow Culture: Shallow culture consists of the norms, social expectations, and rules that govern behavior in social contexts. It includes things like etiquette, social roles, and cultural expectations regarding gender, family, and authority. Shallow culture is less visible than surface culture and often requires a deeper level of cultural immersion to understand. It shapes interactions and social relationships but may not be as deeply embedded in one’s sense of identity as the deepest layer of culture.
Deep Culture: Deep culture represents the foundational values, beliefs, and worldviews that shape how individuals and communities perceive reality, ethics, and existence. These deep structures are often invisible and unconscious, guiding people’s behavior in ways that are rarely questioned. Deep culture includes epistemological assumptions about how knowledge is created, ontological beliefs about the nature of being, and cosmological frameworks that explain the origins and structure of the universe.
Deep culture is where the most profound aspects of a society's worldview are located, and it often involves cosmological beliefs that influence how a community relates to the natural world, the divine, and the purpose of life. For example, Indigenous cosmologies often emphasize the interconnectedness of all beings, whereas Western cultures, influenced by Cartesian dualism, have historically maintained a separation between humans and nature.
Epistemological, Ontological, and Cosmological Structures in Culture
The structures of culture can be understood in relation to three fundamental areas of philosophy: epistemology, ontology, and cosmology. These dimensions correspond to how cultures shape knowledge (epistemology), understand being (ontology), and explain the nature of the universe (cosmology).
Epistemological Structures: Epistemology refers to the study of knowledge—how it is acquired, validated, and transmitted. Every culture has its own epistemological assumptions about what constitutes knowledge, how it is passed down, and who holds authority over knowledge. In many traditional cultures, knowledge is acquired through direct experience with the natural world, often transmitted orally through stories, rituals, and practices that emphasize the importance of place-based learning.
Michel Foucault's work on power and knowledge explored how knowledge is constructed and institutionalized within cultures. In his book Discipline and Punish (1975), Foucault demonstrated how knowledge systems are tied to power structures, shaping what is considered valid or legitimate knowledge. Foucault's insights help us understand how deep cultural structures influence the ways in which knowledge is controlled and passed down within a society.
Ontological Structures: Ontology concerns the nature of being and existence. Cultural ontologies determine how individuals perceive themselves and their relationship to others, the environment, and the cosmos. Different cultures have vastly different ontological assumptions. For example, Western cultures have historically been influenced by Cartesian dualism, which separates the mind from the body and humans from nature. In contrast, many Indigenous cultures operate within an ontology of interconnectedness, where humans, animals, plants, and the environment are seen as part of a relational web of existence.
Martin Heidegger, in his book Being and Time (1927), explored the concept of Being (Dasein) and how human existence is shaped by our understanding of time, space, and death. Heidegger’s work highlights how ontological assumptions deeply influence the way individuals understand their place in the world.
Cosmological Structures: Cosmology refers to a culture’s understanding of the universe, its origins, and its structure. Cosmological beliefs are often the deepest layer of culture, shaping how individuals and communities understand their relationship to the cosmos, the divine, and the meaning of life. These beliefs are often transmitted through religious or spiritual traditions and are rarely questioned.
For example, in many Indigenous cultures, cosmological beliefs emphasize the reciprocal relationship between humans and the natural world. The land, animals, and spirits are seen as active participants in the cosmological order, with humans having a responsibility to maintain balance and harmony. In contrast, Western cosmologies, influenced by Christianity and scientific materialism, often view the natural world as a resource to be controlled and exploited for human benefit.
Mircea Eliade, a Romanian historian of religion, explored the role of cosmological myths in shaping cultural worldviews. In his book The Sacred and the Profane (1957), Eliade argued that cosmological myths provide a framework for understanding the sacred and the profane, organizing how individuals relate to the divine and the natural world.
Inherited and Unconscious Cultural Structures
One of the most profound aspects of deep culture is that it is often inherited and operates unconsciously. Many of the values, beliefs, and worldviews that shape human behavior are passed down through generations, embedded in practices, stories, and rituals that are rarely questioned. These inherited cultural structures form the background assumptions that guide thought and action.
Carl Jung, the Swiss psychoanalyst, explored the idea of the collective unconscious, which he argued contains the shared cultural symbols and archetypes that shape human thought across generations. Jung’s work helps us understand how deep cultural structures can operate at a subconscious level, influencing individuals' behavior in ways that are not always accessible to conscious thought.
In many ways, deep cultural structures act as a kind of cognitive framework through which individuals interpret their experiences and the world around them. Because these frameworks are often inherited and unconscious, they can be difficult to challenge or change. However, as scholars like Bourdieu and Foucault have shown, understanding the power dynamics that underlie cultural structures is essential for challenging oppressive systems and opening up new possibilities for cultural transformation.
