Culture

• Culture is the values, beliefs, customs and behaviours used by groups and societies to interact with each other and the world
• We are born into or raised in some of these groups (such as ethnic groups) while others we may choose to join (such as political and religious groups)
• Some people adjust their beliefs as they grow and learn
• It is important to learn and respect the views and beliefs of your own culture as well as that of others
• Accepting and learning about the views, beliefs, experiences, arts and crafts of different cultures can enrich our live and can be of great benefit to designers
• Fashions, trends and challenge to keep up with the latest technology have a say in the changing nature of many products
• The airbag for cyclists is an example of new technology and fashion combining. It is a neck-worn system that incorporates an air bag that fully inflates to absorb the shock of any impact
• Fashion drives styles, colour and materials
• Fashion styles canbe dependent on particular groups of people. This is often seen when musicians or celebrities in popular culture wear a specific style of clothing
• As celebrities change their tastes or new celebrities become popular, the style and fashion changes with them
• Fashion can also change with world events
• During the Second World War people were only allowed a certain amount of fabric to make clothes. As a result, fashion had to change in order to fit the limited sources of the time
• Fahion is also affected by different cultures and subcultures. Punk us a subculture that includes music and fashion worn by bands such as Sex Pistols in the late 1970s; it grew out of a rebellious attitude towards society which was reflected in the clothing