The word "culture" is an example of whorfian consequences. It was said that the Hopi Indian's were unable to perceive time as "we" do, as they lacked dedicated words for certain time concepts.
That theory was complete bovine fertilizer, as the Hopi do have expressions for exactly the same time concepts as we do. The words just happen to be used in different contexts as well. It's like 下, which means both "down" and "next" and 上, which means both "up" and "previous" in Chinese. It is not stranger than an Englishman who doesn't think of fish every time someone mentions a "school".
The word "culture" is really whorfian, however, even though it goes the other way round. It is a word that doesn't mean anything, but as it happens to exist, people talk about it.
People talk about the "culture" of Belgium, as if Eddy Merckx had had more in common with Hieronymus Bosch than with Miguel Indurain, and as if Queen Elizabeth II had had more in common with Jack the Ripper than with Margarete II of Denmark.
If you want to excuse slavery in a country - just use the magical word culture, as in "it is just part of their culture", and everything is forgiven.
The person who brags with his inter-cultural awareness is usually someone who is completely unable to recognise the minds and moods of individuals.
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