Cultural SECTION

3
Universals TEKS 15E, 16A, 16B, 16C, 18A,
18B, 18C, 18D, 19A, 20A, 20B, 20C

If YOU lived there... What You Will Learn…

You’re touring What the World Eats, a photography exhibit that Main Ideas
shows families from 25 countries displaying the food they eat 1. The features common to all
cultures are called cultural
in a week. The food varies from image to image. Some foods—
universals.
sheep meat soup, mutton dumpling—seem unusual. Still, each 2. All societies have social insti-
tutions that help their groups
photo shows that families all over the world spend time together
survive.
over food. 3. Every culture expresses itself
creatively in a variety of ways.
How can the world’s people be so similar 4. All societies use technology
to help shape and control the
and so ­different? environment.

The Big Idea

Geographers study cultural
Building Background You have learned about how culture universals, features common
traits set cultures apart from one another. In this section, you will to all societies, to understand
learn about features that people everywhere hold in common, similarities among the world’s
people.
including social institutions, cultural expressions, and technology.

Key Terms
What Do All Cultures Have in Common? cultural universal, p. 91
You may be wondering how cultures can be so different when social institution, p. 92
heritage, p. 93
all people have the same basic needs. All people need food,
universal theme, p. 94
clothing, and shelter to survive. Geographers and other social technology, p. 94
scientists believe that some needs are so basic that societies science, p. 94
everywhere have developed certain features to meet them. These
features, common to all cultures, are called cultural ­universals .
In this section, you will learn about three important ­cultural
universals: social institutions, creative expressions, and Use the graphic organizer online
t­ echnology. to compare features shared by all
cultures.
Reading Check Finding Main Ideas What can geographers learn
from cultural universals?

THE WORLD’S PEOPLE 91

 Basic Social Institutions For instance, one goal of U.S. public
schools is to develop informed citizens
Societies, like people, have basic needs that
who contribute to the good of their
must be met for a group to survive. Social
communities.
institutions are organized patterns of belief
and behavior that focus on meeting these Religion
needs. They exist in all societies. The world’s religions are incredibly diverse.
However, their specific characteristics Still, in all societies, religion helps explain
vary from culture to culture. The most the meanings of life and death and the
basic social institutions are family, educa- difference between good and bad behavior.
tion, religion, government, and economy. Over time, religion is passed down
and supported by traditional practices,
Family literature, sacred texts and stories, and
Family is the most basic social institution. sacred places. All of this makes religion a
In all societies, its purpose is the same. The powerful force. It is often the foundation
family ensures that children are cared for of a culture’s p ­hilosophical beliefs and
until old enough to fend for themselves. attitudes. Moreover, in all world regions,
Families provide emotional and physical it has inspired and sustained itself through
A CADEMIC support. They also teach the accepted norms,
V OCABULARY great works of devotion, including art and
behaviors, and values of a culture. monumental architecture.
monumental
impressively
large, sturdy, Education Government
and enduring
Societies rely on education to pass on To keep order and resolve conflicts, people
knowledge to young people. For example, need a government. A government is a sys-
schools across the world teach reading, tem of leaders and laws that help people
writing, math, and technical skills live safely together in their community or
that prepare students to take on adult country. In Chapter 5 and throughout this
roles. Schools also teach the norms and book, you will learn about world govern-
values that sustain, or s­ upport, a society. ments and how they shape people’s lives.

Education
In the United States (left) and in Peru (below),
schools teach knowledge, skills, and cultural norms
to prepare students for adult roles.

Analyzing Visuals What similarities and

­ ifferences do you detect between the two
d
­classroom environments?

92 Chapter 4
Economy Creative Forces
To support its people, a society must have Throughout this book, you will explore cre-
an economy, or a system of using resources ative expressions from all world regions. As
to meet needs. People must be able to make, you discover them, note how they are influ-
buy, sell, and trade goods and services to enced by the availability of natural materials
get what they need and want. In Chapter 5, and resources. Look, too, for how ­creative
you will learn about and compare the expressions reflect a specific heritage, or
features of various economic systems. the wealth of cultural elements that has
been passed down over generations.
Reading Check Summarizing What are the Creative expressions also express indi-
main social institutions? vidual choices. People use artistic forms
to express individual, as well as cultural,
Creative Expressions ideas about what is pleasing, proper, and
beautiful. They also use them to address
All people are creative. Everyone has the
contemporary issues such as politics, war,
ability to imagine, think, and create. Not
and social inequality. This is because the
surprisingly, all societies express themselves
arts can inspire us. Creative forms com-
creatively, too. The main types of creative
municate ideas and emotions that stir
expression are:
people to action.
• Performing Arts—art forms that com-
bine sound and movement for an audi-
ence such as music, theater, and dance.
• Visual Arts—creative expressions that
have both a visual and material form,
such as painting, jewelry, sculpture, tex-
tiles, and architecture.
• Literary Arts—art forms rooted in words
and language such as literature, folktales,
and stories.

Monumental Architecture
Religion inspires creative expressions, including monumental
architecture such as France’s Notre Dame Cathedral (below) and
Schwedagon Pagoda (right), a Buddhist temple in Myanmar.

Analyzing Visuals How do examples of monumental

­architecture express the power of religion?

THE WORLD’S PEOPLE 93

 Universal Themes Science and Technology
Some creative expressions communicate All people use technology to shape and con-
universal themes. A universal theme is trol their environments, and they use sci-
a message about life or human nature that ence to try and understand it. ­Technology
is meaningful across time and in all places. refers to the use of knowledge, tools, and
Because they express basic human truths, skills to solve problems. Science is a way of
universal themes transcend, or move understanding the world through observa-
beyond, the boundaries of a particular tion and the testing of ideas.
society. They speak to people everywhere.
Masterpieces of art have qualities that Factors Shaping Technology Use
are meaningful and timeless. Examples Historically, the type of technology a
include Egyptian hieroglyphics and the culture developed has been strongly tied to
sculptures of ancient Greece. The wood- environmental factors. Not only were tools
block prints made by the Japanese painter and technology made from local resources,
Katsushika Hokusai are also an example they were also designed to solve specific
of this type of art. They express a love of problems posed by nature. For example,
nature’s beauty, simplicity, and power. farmers might build dams to prevent rivers
Other art forms also gain worldwide from flooding and destroying their crops.
appreciation. For example, literature such Other factors such as belief systems,
as The Lord of the Rings contains a universal political decisions, and economic factors
theme of a hero’s search for truth, good- can influence technology use, too. Some
ness, and honor. Blues music is another religious groups, like the Amish people of
example. Derived from African American the United States, selectively use technol-
work songs and spirituals in the Ameri- ogy. They readily use gas and horse-drawn
can South, blues songs express feelings of buggies. However, they reject technology
sadness and struggle in the face of great they think will undermine their traditions,
challenges. including cars and computers.
Reading Check Describing What are the
main types of cultural expressions?

Nature’s awesome power is a universal theme in

the paintings of boats at sea created by Japanese
artist Katushika Hokusai (at left) and English art-
ist Joseph Mallord William Turner (below).

94 Chapter 4
 Government decisions also affect tech- Inventors, too, change the world. For
nology use. North Korea, for example, example, in 1879, Thomas Edison devel-
restricts Internet use. To use the Internet, oped an affordable and practical light bulb.
a North Korean must have special permis- At the time, the invention caused a sensa-
sion and may only use it for government tion. People no longer had to burn candles
purposes. Worldwide, however, the ­primary and oil lamps for light at night. Over time,
barrier between people and technology electricity has transformed daily life and
is economic. New technologies are sim- work for many of the world’s people.
ply too expensive for many of the world’s Today, scientists and inventors con-
people to access them. tinue to identify and solve problems.
They often work in groups to make dis-
Impact of Technology coveries or invent new devices or products
Throughout time, advances in science and that will benefit future generations. This
technology have made life easier. Some involves careful thinking about the future
discoveries even changed the world. and making predictions about the social,
Consider, for example, the work of political, economic, cultural, and environ-
French scientist Louis Pasteur. His work mental impact of their work.
revolutionized health and medicine.
In 1870 Pasteur discovered that germs Reading Check Generalizing What are the
caused infections. To prevent the spread of basic purposes of technology and science?
disease, he urged people to wash their
hands. He also developed vaccines to
prevent deadly diseases and a process for SUmmary and Preview In this section
  
removing bacteria from food. Today most you learned about the features that make
milk, cheese, and juice on our grocery cultures similar. Next you will learn how
shelves has been sterilized, or made germ- globalization is shaping world culture.
free, through pasteurization.

Section 3 Assessment ONLINE QUIZ

Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and Places Critical Thinking

1. a. Identify and Explain What are five basic social 4. Comparing Draw a chart like the one here to
institutions? What purposes do they serve? ­organize your notes on the features of culture that
b. Analyze What efforts and activities are most impor- all people share.
tant for a religious institution to last over time? Explain.
2. a. Explain What is the relationship that exists between Social Cultural Science and
Institutions Expressions Technology
religious ideas, philosophical ideas, and cultures?
b. Describe What forces influence cultural expressions?
c. Identify List and explain examples of art, music,
and literature with universal themes.
3. a. Explain How can factors related to belief systems,
government, and economics affect technology use? Focus on Writing
b. Make Inferences How might a resource such as
river water affect how farmers use technology? 5. Describing Cultural Similarities What kind of
c. Explain Give an example of a scientific discovery images could you use to show that all cultures have
and an example of a technological innovation that social institutions, cultural expressions, and science
have changed the world. Discuss the role of scientists and technology?
and inventors in making the discovery and innovation.

THE WORLD’S PEOPLE 95