When we hear the word “culture”, most of us tend to think of a collective identity informed by worldviews, trends, and norms within our society. In the social context, we think of culture as something that we voluntarily participate in and that we are in total control of our own participation.
In a scientific context, the word “culture” refers to a prepared environment to grow microorganisms such as bacteria or cells. The intent of doing this is not so that the microorganisms can live freely, to live full meaningful lives. The intent is not to grow the microorganisms for their benefit, but for ours. For the microorganisms, participation in the culture involuntary. It is not involuntary because rulers or tyrants are trampling on their liberties or because they are conquered by other microorganisms. From birth, the environment that the microorganisms find themselves in is the only one that could ever have known. From their perspective, for all they know, they have complete freedom.
In the scientific context, one objective of preparing a culture is to grow microorganisms that are generally uniform. One would say that a culture is successful if a uniform and predictable population of the microorganism appears.
“It Is No Measure of Health To Be Well-Adjusted to a Profoundly Sick Society”
— J. Krishamurti
Is our culture one that exists for the benefit of everyone within it, or the benefit of a few?
Is our culture one that celebrates individual, natural expression, or one that expects uniform, predictable behaviors?
Are we free, really?