What causes variation within societies?
Variation within societies is caused by differences in groups, experiences, environments, and beliefs among people. Factors such as region, class, ethnicity, religion, age, and social experiences create different ways of life within the same society.
What is ethnocentrism?
Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own culture is superior to others and the tendency to judge other cultures by the standards of one's own culture.
Where did Margaret Mead live in the 1930s to conduct her study of cultural variation?
Margaret Mead lived in New Guinea in the 1930s to study cultural variation.
Describe how subcultures and countercultures are related.
Subcultures and countercultures are related because both are smaller groups within a larger society that have their own distinctive values and behaviors. A counterculture is a type of subculture that specifically rejects or opposes important values and norms of the dominant culture.
Why do cultural universals exist?
Cultural universals exist because all human societies have basic needs and face similar problems, such as raising children, organizing family life, communicating, and surviving. Because people everywhere deal with these needs, some cultural features appear in every society.
Explain cultural relativism.
Cultural relativism is the idea that a culture should be understood on its own terms rather than judged by the standards of another culture. It means trying to see beliefs and practices in the context of that culture.
Describe the study conducted in the 1930s by Margaret Mead.
In the 1930s, Margaret Mead studied cultural variation by living among people in New Guinea and observing how different groups raised children and defined gender roles. She found that behaviors thought to be natural could vary greatly from one culture to another.
What is the difference between a subculture and a counterculture?
A subculture is a group within a larger society that has its own distinct traits but generally exists alongside the dominant culture. A counterculture is a group that goes further by rejecting or opposing major values and norms of the dominant culture.
What is cultural discontinuity?
Cultural discontinuity is a breakdown or gap between generations or groups in a society, where shared values, norms, and traditions are not passed on smoothly. This can lead to misunderstanding and conflict.
Why did George Murdock examine hundreds of different cultures in the 1940s?
George Murdock examined hundreds of different cultures in the 1940s to identify cultural universals, or traits and practices that appear in all human societies.
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