culture

Definition from Longman DCE CD ROM ▶IN A SOCIETY◀ //We speak Danish at home so that the boys don't lose touch with their language and culture. In our culture, it is rude to ask someone how much they earn. I love working abroad and meeting people from different cultures//. **Western/American/Japanese etc culture** //A brief history of Western culture. // **modern/contemporary culture** //Business is one of the major forces in modern culture.//
 * culture**
 * [uncountable and countable]** the beliefs, way of life, art, and customs that are shared and accepted by people in a particular society

In this text the word 'culture' is used without a definite article (uncountable) in all except one instance. This shows a difference in meaning: 'culture' without the definite article is the abstract idea of culture; 'the culture' refers to the customs, beliefs and art of a particular place such as Britain or China.