Definitions

Introductory Note

          The English word “culture” is a sociological term. Although in English there is a common usage of this word to designate a “cultured person,” the association of “culture” to the arts is weak. The German word “Kultur” also is a sociological term, but its association with the arts arguably is perhaps somewhat greater than that of the English word “culture.” Using German-language words adds a bit of panache but it does also have one practical advantage. To use the English words does not permit the use of the abbreviation “CQ” (this is, after all, not a group of ham radio operators!).

          Reference to the Internet seems to reflect little or no usage of “Kultur Quotient” or “Kultur Quiz” within the English-speaking USA. However, with reference to German-speaking sites, there are dozens of entities using the phrase “Kultur Quotient,” although none even remotely similar to my context for the words. German-speaking sites use “Kultur Quiz” hundreds of times, some even to designate actual quizzes (although it is unknown whether the content of those quizzes is similar to the questions I propose for my Kultur Quiz). Thus, by distinguishing my proposed “Kultur Quiz” by adding “(USA),” I hope to avoid legal issues with respect to those entities using the words without the qualifying and distinguishing addendum. The use of “(USA)” also will limit the scope of my Kultur Quiz to a more manageable English-language, and United States-based, phenomenon.

1.           Kultur Quotient

Kultur Quotient, KQ, is a numerical score, calculated according to the number of correct answers to an organized and detailed list of questions, designed to define, measure, and evaluate an individual’s knowledge and love of, and personal life experience with respect to, art, literature, music, history, travel, languages, basics of other academic disciplines, and relevant categories of people, places, things, and events, all with the purpose of determining the extent to which that person may appropriately be deemed
“a cultured person.”

While somewhat analogous to Intelligence Quotient, or IQ, KQ in reality is significantly different from IQ. There are different types of intelligence, and different tests to measure those differing types of intelligence, each with its own set of variables. The determination of a Kultur Quotient is a far more subjective process and is subject to a multitude of variables. Questions asked for a test of KQ must be weighted to take into consideration the context of historical time of the subject matter, and of age, nationality, facility of language(s), level of education for both participant and family members, locale of residency (past and present), socio-economic factors for both participant and family members, extent of travel in and outside of the United States, and actual proficiency of the individual in any form of the arts. Accordingly, the questions asked in a test for KQ administered in English to a citizen of the United States would contain different questions from a test of a German national in the German language, but both tests would seek to measure the respective individual’s personal level of “cultural” achievement.

2.           Kultur Quiz (USA)

Kultur Quiz is a series of organized and detailed questions. Through my presentations here my Kultur Quiz will have the goal of encouraging knowledge and love of, and enhancing participation in, the arts. Any Kultur Quiz can serve to create, use, measure, and evaluate questions ultimately to be used for tests of Kultur Quotient.

I can present Kultur Quiz questions on this web site on all relevant topics, with one exception. Some works of fine art (in all its various media) are in the public domain, but usable photographs of even those works are almost always subject to copyright. Other, and critically important, works are under copyright restrictions by the owners, and the cost of obtaining the right to reproduce even a single such work can be hundreds of dollars. Sadly, therefore, this element of the Quiz must remain absent.