Cultural universal

A cultural universal (also called an anthropological universal or human universal), as discussed by Emile Durkheim, George Murdock, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Donald Brown and others, is an element, pattern, trait, or institution that is common to all human cultures worldwide. Taken together, the whole body of cultural universals is known as the human condition. Evolutionary psychologists hold that behaviors or traits that occur universally in all cultures are good candidates for evolutionary adaptations. Some anthropological and sociological theorists that take a cultural relativist perspective may deny the existence of cultural universals: the extent to which these universals are "cultural" in the narrow sense, or in fact biologically inherited behavior is an issue of "nature versus nurture".

In his book Human Universals (1991), Donald Brown defines human universals as comprising "those features of culture, society, language, behavior, and psyche for which there are no known exception", providing a list of 67 items.

Latest News for: Cultural universal

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7th National Conference of RSVP at Deccan College from April 26-28

Hindustan Times 26 Apr 2025
A three-day national conference will be organised at Deccan College, Post Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed University), Pune, in collaboration with Rashtriya Samaj Vigyan Parishad ... Prasad Joshi, vice-chancellor of Deccan College (Deemed University) and the local convenor of the conference....
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Out of this world

The Courier - Waterloo 26 Apr 2025
From Harry Potter to Super Mario Bros. to Frankenstein’s monster, Universal Orlando Resort is pulling out all the pop culture stops at its newest and largest theme park in Florida ... ....
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American student becomes cultural ambassador for Shenyang, NE China's Liaoning

People Daily 25 Apr 2025
An American doctoral student at China Medical University has pledged to become a cultural ambassador for Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, after winning a top award for her interpretation of local culture ... In her free time, she often joins cultural activities organized by Liaoning Province and the university....
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Chinese publisher donates calligraphy teaching books, equipment to Tunisian university

People Daily 25 Apr 2025
Kang Zhen, vice president of Beijing Normal University, underscored the profound historical and cultural significance of Chinese calligraphy during the event ... Chinese culture. The new calligraphy program, he said, will further enrich cultural cooperation between the two nations....
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UC students find home, support at school centers. But Ohio law to likely shut them down

Cincinnati.com 25 Apr 2025
The African American Cultural & Resource Center played a large role in why Genesis Anderson, a third-year pre-law student of Caribbean and African descent, chose to attend the university ... Ohio State University announced April 17 that it would keep its Hale Black Cultural Center ......
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Jamia Hamdard strengthens international collaboration through academic exchange with RAK University

Khaleejtimes 25 Apr 2025
In a significant step towards fostering international academic cooperation, Jamia Hamdard has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) University, UAE. As part of this partnership, a group of 10 students from RAK University visited Jamia Hamdard under an academic exchange programme....
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Dance Drama Wing Chun Premieres in Russia, Cross-Cultural Resonance Touches Hearts

GetNews 25 Apr 2025
This is the first Chinese original dance drama team to perform in Russia's "Double First-Class" artistic venues, and it serves as a landmark event in cultural exchange between China and Russia, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries....
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Thousands gather in New Mexico for the largest powwow in North America

Times Union 25 Apr 2025
It's about dressing to impress the judges, said Warren Queton, a Kiowa Tribe legislator and adjunct instructor at the University of Oklahoma who has participated in community dancing and cultural events since he was a boy ... deeply rooted in community, identity and cultural values....
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The ‘best small town in the South’ is luring new residents with low-cost living perks ...

New York Post 25 Apr 2025
Once defined by the spirited pulse of Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi has emerged as a multifaceted destination, recently named the top small Southern town by USA Today for the second consecutive year ... Recent construction has prioritized multifamily housing to accommodate the university’s 22,000 students....
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ASUN condemns visa revocations, supports Big Ten mutual defense compact

The Daily Nebraskan 25 Apr 2025
The Association of Students of the University of Nebraska formally condemned the visa revocations of University of Nebraska-Lincoln students and signaled its support for a Big Ten mutual defense contract at its meeting Wednesday ...International students are essential members of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln....
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What Ancient Greek Sounded Like?

Greek Reporter 25 Apr 2025
The strikingly modernistic poem — which speaks to the universal human experience of loving someone whom perhaps they shouldn’t — is evidence of a cultural crossover from human experience to the written word. And its attraction is likewise universal....
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Can fandoms be as deep and meaningful as religion? | The Excerpt

Usatoday 25 Apr 2025
But is there something deeper than just fun at play here? Something that aligns more with religion or even sacredness? That’s the argument of sociologist Michael Elliott, a professor at Towson University who has studied the culture of Comic-Con for 7 years....
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Two Months on, Ujam Shapes UNN’s Path to Greatness

This Day 25 Apr 2025
Ifeanyichukwu Jaja writes on the efforts being made by the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Professor Oguejiofo Ujam, since he assumed office on February 14, 2025, to return the university to path of greatness ... He went further to remind the university’s leadership of their collective obligation....

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