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Is Music a Cultural Universal?

Is Music a Cultural Universal? – Sociological Research on Cultural Universal | Sociology

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Cultural Universals

Those guiding principles of human civilization found in all societies – past and present – across the globe are Cultural Universals. Cultural universals include behaviors, perspectives, institutions, and other features that are common to all human cultures worldwide.No matter where or when we live, humans exhibit similar basic behaviors in order to survive and proliferate. Every person needs food, drink, to learn, to grow, and to bury loved ones.Although we often think that our actions and thoughts are new and original, in the long view of human history we are usually just dressing up old ideas and pushing them back onto the stage.

In his research on kinship systems around the world, anthropologist George Murdock recognized the existence of cultural universals. A central theme in Murdock’s research is that cultural universals are often associated with basic human survival, including finding food, clothing, and shelter, or with shared human experiences, such as birth, death, or illness and recovery. Murdock also identified language, the concept of personal names, and, interestingly, jokes as universal concepts. Laughter is universally used to release tensions and create a sense of unity among people . Sociologists consider humor essential to human interaction since it helps individuals get through otherwise tense situations.

Try this FAQ

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In his research, george murdock determined which of the following to be a cultural universal?

A) War
B) Astronomy
C) Funeral ceremonies
D) All of these answers are correct

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The correct Answer for the given Question is

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Option C) Funeral ceremonies

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Cultural Universals: Example

The family unit is an example of a cultural universal: Every human society recognizes the importance of a family unit which regulates sexual reproduction and child rearing.However, how the family unit is defined and how it operates varies widely.. For example, in many Asian cultures, all generations of a family live together in one home. As young adults, they continue to live within the extended family structure until they get married and join their spouse’s family, or they may stay and raise their nuclear family within the extended family’s homestead. Contrary to this, in the United States, individuals are expected to leave home and live independently for a period of time before forming a family unit comprised of parents and children. Other cultural universals include customs like funeral rites, weddings, and celebrations of births. However, each culture may view these ceremonies differently.

Try this FAQ

[bg_collapse_level2 view=”button-orange” color=”#4a4949″ expand_text=”Show Question” collapse_text=”Hide Question” ]

Which of the following is an example of a cultural universal?

1) Putting your cell phone on silent during a Broadway production
2) Holding hands with your best friend
3) Incest taboos
4) Marrying the partner whom your parents have chosen for you

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The correct Answer for the given Question is

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Option 3) Incest taboos

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Is Music a Cultural Universal?

Is Music a Cultural Universal?

Situation I :

Take a moment to imagine yourself sitting in a theater watching a movie. At the beginning of the movie, the heroine has a grim expression on her face as she sits on a park bench. The music begins. In a minor key, the first notes are played. While listening to the melody, the heroine turns her head and sees a man approaching her. As the music slowly gets louder, a prickle of fear runs down your spine from the dissonance of the chords. This leads you to believe that the heroine is in danger.

Situation II :

Think for a moment that you are watching the same movie, but with a different soundtrack. A soft, soothing piece of music opens the scene, with an undertone of sadness. In the background, you see the heroine sitting alone in the park. Suddenly, the music begins to swell. As the woman looks up, she sees an approaching man. The music becomes louder and faster. She feels her heart beating faster. It is a happy moment. When music is played, emotional responses can be evoked. Television shows, movies, and even commercials use music to evoke laughter, sadness, or fear.

Are these types of musical cues cultural universals?

In 2009, a team of psychologists, led by Thomas Fritz of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany, studied people’s reactions to music that they’d never heard . The research team visited the Mafa tribe in Cameroon, Africa, and asked them to listen to Western music. Being isolated from Western culture, the tribe was not exposed to western culture, so they had no context or experience within which to interpret the music. However, when the tribal members listened to a Western piano piece, they recognized three basic emotions: happiness, sadness, and fear. This suggests that music is a universal language.

Additionally, researchers discovered that music can foster a sense of belonging among a group. As a matter of fact, scientists who study the evolution of language conclude that language and music were one in the beginning . Furthermore, because music is largely nonverbal, the sounds of music can transcend societal boundaries more easily than words. The language barrier may be more difficult to cross when it comes to music. Fritz and his team found that music and the emotions it conveys are cultural universals.

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