Single Color Meanings

Colour is a powerful and important communication tool, and it is tied to religious, cultural, political and social influences.  A single color may have totally contrasting meanings, depending on where in the world you live. For example, white is perceived as purity and virtue in western society, while in many Asian countries it represents mourning. White in India is associated with peace, serenity and purity. That is why during mourning symbolically people use white in large part of India. The table below, modified from several sources, highlights the differences in the meanings of colors between different cultural groups. Some references gave very different meaning to colors, and all these have been included in the table. For example, one reference gave yellow a cowardly meaning1, while another said it indicated joy and happiness.

Color is very much subjective and extremely difficult to judge measure globally. Recent globalization has successfully implemented some of the aspects to rationalize its application. While cultures are complexes of learned behavior patterns and perceptions, societies are groups of interacting organisms. 

Three Layers of Culture

1. The body of cultural traditions that distinguish the specific society from others
2. The culture that may be part of your identity is a subculture
   
   

   Plate 17 Cultural Layers

   (Ref. http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm ) (http://thinkvitamin.com/design/how-colour-communicates-meaning/ )

   
   
3. The layer of culture consists of cultural universals.  These are learned behavior patterns that are shared by all of humanity collectively.