Yeah, it's tricky to find the right word. Though, I think even if I'm using the "wrong" word I've properly conveyed my stance. Language is constantly evolving, as do the "proper" terms for something. It's hard to keep up with what's correct sometimes.Rather than "culture", I'd say "ethnicity" or "nationality", but it really wasn't that long ago that "race" meant the same thing, so that it was common to refer to "the English race" for example.
I guess I'm just trying to highlight the difference between a Species (Humans as a whole), a "race"/ethnicity (White/Black people), a culture (Francophone), and a nationality (French).