cultural universal

noun

1. a cultural pattern extant in every known society.

Example Sentences

But “your goal is not to maximize reproduction, whatever may be said of your genes” and evolutionary arguments can’t explain our enormous societal emphasis on youthfulness, which has been far from a cultural universal, across cultures or history.

From The Guardian

Anyone questioning the idea that brutality toward women is a cultural universal might look no further than Ohio.

From Time

More About Cultural Universal

What is a cultural universal?

A cultural universal is something that is accepted or understood in nearly every culture or society, such as rituals surrounding birth and death.

Cultural universal is used in anthropology and sociology to describe a pattern of behaviors or beliefs that most, if not all, human cultures have. 

Although a cultural universal might exist in all cultures, the specifics of the cultural pattern can be different, sometimes very different, between societies. For example, the desire to create music is a cultural universal, but the styles and genres of music vary greatly from group to group. 

Some other frequently cited cultural universals include marriage, ceremonies honoring the dead, the assistance in giving birth, metaphors, poetry, measurement, telling time, verbs in language, bartering and the exchange of goods and services, and holiday rituals.

Example: Juan’s research focused on the cultural universal of death ceremonies, studying the different death rituals of South American countries over the centuries.

Where does cultural universal come from?

Cultural universal combines the terms cultural, meaning “relating to behaviors and beliefs of a group of people,” and universal, meaning “a trait or characteristic that is possessed by everyone.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with cultural universal? 

• cultural pluralism
• cultural sociology
• universal grammar
• universal donor

What are some words that often get used in discussing cultural universal?

• anthropology
• sociology
• death
• language
• religion

How is cultural universal used in real life?

Cultural universals are normally discussed within the contexts of human geography, sociology, and history. 

Is clapping a cultural universal?

— İyad el-Baghdadi | إياد البغدادي (@iyad_elbaghdadi) January 2, 2018

Feasting is a cultural universal, and Thanksgiving, thankfully, is no exception.

— JSTOR Daily (@JSTOR_Daily) November 25, 2016

Adults hyping kids up about bubbles is a cultural universal.

— Gina Theresa (@ginatheresa) May 1, 2021

 

 

Try using cultural universal!

True or False?

A cultural universal is something only one culture does.