My Impression of Cultural Studies and Ethnology of America

New semester starts. Culture Studies and Ethnology of America is offered by Dr.Ameli.I have to launch a new weblog. I did not use to be very interested in the concept of culture in American studies or even cultural studies on it own.
Yesterday I noticed a definition of culture which I liked most;"the patterns of behavior and thinking that people living in social groups learn, create, and share. Culture distinguishes one human group from others. It also distinguishes humans from other animals. A people’s culture includes their beliefs, rules of behavior, language, rituals, art, technology, styles of dress, ways of producing and cooking food, religion , and political and economic systems."The only thing sparked in my mind was that the only way to know America and Americans is first to know their culture which means to know them.
The ethnology part of the course seems attractive and can provide me with good ideas for my thesis.
I hope a very fruitful course with Dr.Ameli.