Culture is based on stories. Stories that we have that shape every aspect of society. Some of these are nursery rhymes, rules, parental guidance, things teachers say, comic books, books, television and radio programmes, pronouncements by politicians.
Some of these stories are overt (such as political discourse) and some are believed so deeply they are held beyond conscious awareness as self evident truths (such as the idea of progress).
All these stories, memes, ideas animate behaviour and drive social processes.