Is Aviation a Culture?

[Tom H]

Is Aviation a Culture?…It meets these definitions.

http://www.livescience.com/21478-what-i ... lture.html
Culture is the characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/culture
1) the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.
5) the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group:
the youth culture; the drug culture.
From the same link, World Dictionary definitions:
1. the total of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge, which constitute the shared bases of social action
2. the total range of activities and ideas of a group of people with shared traditions, which are transmitted and reinforced by members of the group: the Mayan culture
4. the artistic and social pursuits, expression, and tastes valued by a society or class,
as in the arts, manners, dress, etc
5. the enlightenment or refinement resulting from these pursuits
6. the attitudes, feelings, values, and behaviour that characterize and inform society
as a whole or any social group within it: yob culture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture
1. the evolved human capacity to classify and represent experiences with symbols,
and to act imaginatively and creatively; and
2. the distinct ways that people living differently classified and represented their
experiences, and acted creatively.[3]

Hoebel describes culture as an integrated system of learned behavior patterns which are characteristic of the members of a society and which are not a result of biological inheritance.[4]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture
2 : the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties especially by education
3 : expert care and training <beauty culture>

5 a : the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon
the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations
5 b : the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social
group; also : the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a
way of life} shared by people in a place or time <southern culture>
5 c : the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an
institution or organization <a corporate culture focused on the bottom line>
5 d : the set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field,
activity, or societal characteristic <studying the effect of computers on print culture

So if it meets all of these definitions maybe we should be treated as a distinct Culture.

Your thoughts?

Tom

[mcrit]

Maybe in the same sense that salmonella can be a culture.

[Expat]

Tom,

I would not describe it as culture, for a few reasons. It could best be described as a passion, because it affects people of different backgrounds, at different stages in life, and to different extents.
Cheers,
expat

[Tom H]

Tom,

I would not describe it as culture, for a few reasons. It could best be described as a passion, because it affects people of different backgrounds, at different stages in life, and to different extents.
Cheers,
expat

Like a religion...which is considered as Culture. Just sayin.

Aviation has it's own history, heritage, traditions, language and customs, all things the "experts" say are required to be a culture. It is also an identifiable group.

Particularly the participants with Aviator sun glasses and uniforms or flight jackets (LOL)

Tom

[lownslow]

So if it meets all of these definitions maybe we should be treated as a distinct Culture.

Your thoughts?

I think we should demand it's recognition as a culture and go after some sort of national holiday. My first thought was December 17th but besides being in one of the crappier times of year for flying it may not be recognized by all flyers. Soon we'd have warring factions of Langlians, Maximites, Pearsayers and of course the growing numbers of Whitehead's Witnesses all going against the word of the Bishop's Sons. Not good for a culture, IMO.

Maybe we can convince the powers that be to give us Oshkosh week off work. With pay, of course.

LnS.

[MacStork]

This is a story about a guy who worked on the ramp for Air Canada at YVR. He drove the "honey wagon". He developed a very serious rash around his mouth. At the urging of his fellow ramp workers he went to his Doctor. "My god!" said the Doctor, "where did you get that rash?"
Well Sir, I drive the "honey wagon" for Air Canada. When the jets come in, I drive this grey truck with a big tank on it to the back of the jet. I take out this hose, undo an access panel and then I attach the hose to the fitting. Then I pull this valve to the OPEN position and empty all of shitters on the jet. Then I close the valve and undo the hose from the fitting. It always sticks so I have to jerk the hose around a few times. Some of the liquid from the tank splashes up on my mouth and I wipe it off with my sleeve. Then I close the access panel and I am done.
"Good Lord!" says the Doc, " Have you ever thought about getting another job?"
What? ...... and get out of Aviation!
AVIATION IS A CULTURE!

[Meatservo]

I think the original poster is exactly right. I don't see anything wrong with it either. I have some very fine friends indeed who are involved in aviation, and we otherwise have little in common. Sure it's a culture.

[flyinthebug]

I dont think you can consider aviation itself as a culture. There are cultures within aviation but aviation as a whole isnt really a culture. One of the posters referred to it as a passion and I tend to agree with that. You have a "safety culture" within our industry, but the industry itself couldnt be considered a culture. Not everyone in our industry does things the same way, but we do share certain "cultures" that are all part and parcel of the industry.

An example of why its not a culture...

You have companies that shall remain nameless, that push pilots, wx, machines to and beyond their limits. Meanwhile, the company in the hanger right next door, adheres to the regs and doesnt push their pilots or equipment beyond their limitations. Once EVERY company shares the same ideals as to what makes a company "safe" only then could we be considered a true culture. There are too many opinions that vary in our industry and too many grey areas by our regulator to ever consider aviation as a whole, as a culture.

My 2 cents. Take it for what you paid for it.

Fly safe all.

[Sidebar]

I dont think you can consider aviation itself as a culture. ... Not everyone in our industry does things the same way, but we do share certain "cultures" that are all part and parcel of the industry.

Not everyone in aviation is involved in the industry; many people's involvement is strictly recreational. For example, I saw a powered parachute (shudder) flying near my home yesterday.

[Indanao]

Don't really think it could be a culture, as aviation occurs all over the world within many different cultures. It is an interest group.

[New_PIC]

It seems like there are dozens of different interpretations of what a "culture" is. I took a few anthropology courses in university that studied specific cultures within our society. However, just because aviation may fit one definition of a culture, and it does, that does not mean it qualifies to be treated as a culture under some different definition. The same word, culture, means too many different things.

[AirFrame]

I'm only involved in flying recreationally, and I would definitely define it as a culture. You can choose to not participate in the local club or airport activities, and completely miss this, of course, but for the most part anyone who takes the time to get involved with the local clubs and develop friendships through them will find that they become families.

[Dash-Ate]

Ask yourself do you know the secret handshake (grip?) yet??

[co-joe]

Aviation can be synonymous with several cultures that come to mind. A culture of poverty and a culture of delusion (AKA shiny jet syndrome, greener grass...)

[Gorgons]

Its neither a job or a career, its a lifestyle!

[Geo]

We'd be a sub-culture, but I'm not aware of any amphibians that can operate underwater yet.
Well...more than once anyway.

g

[iflyforpie]

An example of why its not a culture...

You have companies that shall remain nameless, that push pilots, wx, machines to and beyond their limits. Meanwhile, the company in the hanger right next door, adheres to the regs and doesnt push their pilots or equipment beyond their limitations. Once EVERY company shares the same ideals as to what makes a company "safe" only then could we be considered a true culture. There are too many opinions that vary in our industry and too many grey areas by our regulator to ever consider aviation as a whole, as a culture.

As someone said, religion is a culture too. Not every religion flies aircraft into tall buildings or protests everything. Religion and even certain denominations religion are full of people who cannot stand each other either for their beliefs (wheel landing or three point in cross winds) or their conduct (three year bond for F/O on a clapped out 'Ho for min wage on a northern reserve).

As with each.... there can be healthy effects or unhealthy ones. Any sort of fanaticism whether it be aviation, religion, monetary, fitness, or whatever it is that causes you to use bad judgement or causes you to harm yourself or others is unhealthy. The 250 hour wonders who will do 'anything' to get that first flying job come to mind.... and of course there are always the con-men there willing to exploit them.

But there are good things that come from all of those things I listed too... by partaking in moderation and using common sense. It's all of the good stuff that keeps me coming back to this board, not the bad. It's the good that keeps me in aviation, the cameraderie, the common interests, plus the fact that aviation is very very cool.....