“Culture is … “

“Culture is a set of beliefs, values, and preferences, capable of affecting behaviour, that are socially (not genetically) transmitted and that are shared by some subset of society. …
    “[I]t is important to distinguish between such terms as ‘culture’ and ‘institutions.’ … [I]t seems best to regard culture as something entirely of the mind, which can differ from individual to individual and is, to an extent, a matter of individual choice. … [whereas] institutions are parametrically given to every individual and are beyond their control….
    “Cultures are not museum-pieces. They are the working machinery of everyday life. Unlike objects of aesthetic contemplation, working machinery is judged by how well it works, compared to the alternatives.”

~ composite quote from Joel Mokyr’s book A Culture of Growth, and Thomas Sowell’s book Conquest and Culture