How does anthropological culture differ from the idea of culture as knowledge of the fine arts?

In anthropology, the concept of culture differs significantly from the colloquial idea of culture as "high culture" or refined knowledge of the fine arts.

The common notion of culture often refers to a high level of taste, intellectual training, and refinement, positioning it as a marker of social status or "civilization". In contrast, the anthropological definition is far more inclusive and egalitarian. As formulated by Edward Burnett Tylor in 1871, culture is the "complex whole" that encompasses all capabilities and habits acquired by humans as members of society, including beliefs, morals, law, customs, and even mundane daily practices like tool-making or hygiene.12

Key distinctions include:

• Scope: While the fine arts view focuses on elite attainments, the anthropological view treats every aspect of human life—from art and philosophy to social organization and technology—as part of a culture.23
• Universalism: Anthropology asserts that all human groups possess culture, whereas the "fine arts" definition often implies a hierarchy where some groups are considered more "cultured" than others.12
• Learning vs. Inheritance: Anthropology emphasizes that culture is socially learned rather than biologically inherited, focusing on how individuals acquire the traditions and values of their specific society.2