Anthropologists don't just study the evolution of human beings, they also learn about their cultures, how
cultures develop, and how cultures shape human behavior. Culture is a learned set of ideas and rules about
appropriate behavior shared by a group; it's passed on from one generation to the next not by the genes but with
language and shared behaviors. Although the contents of each culture are different, each culture has elements,
patterns, traits, and institutions that are common to all human cultures worldwide. These commonalities are
called cultural universals. The following list is a general description of some of the most typical cultural
universals.
Cultural
Universal
Food
Shelter
Clothing
Religion
Family
Transportation
Education
Recreation
Art
Communication
Government
Economics
Questions Associated with Cultural Universal
What type of food? How do people eat? How is food prepared? When do they eat? Where do
they eat? What do they eat at each meal? Where do they get food? What customs or traditions are
associated with eating? What are some seasonal food items?
What materials are used? Where are the shelters located? How are they arranged? Describe the
size and shape. Do the size and shape have significance? Who lives together? What customs and
rules are associated with being in the shelter? What furniture or decorations are parts of the
shelter? What comforts are in the shelter?
What are the clothing styles? What materials are used for clothing? Are there certain clothing
types for each activity? Are there decorations or accessories that are worn? Where do people get
clothing? Who makes the clothing? How is clothing made? What rules are there regarding
clothing? Is there any society pressure associated with clothing? What clothing is needed because
of the climate?
What are the beliefs, especially for creation and death? What types of religions or customs does the
culture practice? What places to people meet to celebrate? Are there religious symbols, rituals or
leaders?
What are the family traditions and rituals, especially for passage into adulthood, courtship, and
marriage? Who makes a family? How is respect shown for authority? What roles are determined
by age and/or gender?
What types of transportation are used? How are they made? Where are they obtained? Is there
status associated with certain transportation? What effect does transportation have on the society?
How does the transportation work (wheels, fuel, etc.)? What is needed for transportation (roads,
bridges, paths, etc.)?
Who teaches? Where does education take place? What is taught? What tools are used? What are
the levels of education? What education requirements are there for different jobs?
What types of recreation (sports, games, leisure time)? Where does it take place? What supplies
are needed? Who participates? Are there activities separated by gender and age? How are rules
decided? Who enforces the rules? Describe specific types of recreation.
What types of art? What tools and/or supplies are needed? Are there “masters of art”? What is the
value and status of art? Where is art observed?
What types of communication are there? What tools and supplies are needed to communicate?
Who communicates with whom? What is the cost? How convenient is it communicate? What type
of communication is used for personal communication? What type of communication is used for
mass communication? How is privacy ensured?
What type of government (democracy, communism, monarch, etc.)? Who are the leaders? How are
the leaders selected, by whom and according to what qualifications? How are laws decided and
enforced? How are disputes settled? What services are provided and how are they paid for?
What jobs are available? How are people paid? How are the poor take care of? What do people
buy? What types of businesses and industries are available?
Cultural Universal
US Cultural Artifacts
African Culture’s Artifacts
Project Objective: Research a culture from the African continent and teach your peers about the various cultural traits
that make that culture unique.
Project Overview: Each student will select one of the following cultures from Africa. You will then select four of the
twelve cultural universals mentioned above and teach your peers about what makes that culture unique based on that
information. The information will be taught to your peers through a Prezi, which must adhere to the requirements set out
in the rubric.
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Amhara
Berber
Dogon
Fulani
Hausa
Hutu
Igbo
Kikuyu
Maasai
Geography:
 Where is your culture located? What
countries or regions of Africa?
 Provide a map of the areas where your
cultural group is located.
 Explain how the environment impacts the
culture.
Cultural Universal #1:
 Answer the questions under that cultural
universal as fully as possible (e.g. Art or
Government)
 Provide at least one image or a short video
to support the information taught.
Cultural Universal #2:
 Answer the questions under that cultural
universal as fully as possible (e.g. Art or
Government)
 Provide at least one image or a short video
to support the information taught.
Cultural Universal #3:
 Answer the questions under that cultural
universal as fully as possible (e.g. Art or
Government)
 Provide at least one image or a short video
to support the information taught.
Oromo
Pygmies
Tsonga
Tuareg
Tutsi
Xhosa
Yoruba
Zulu
Notes & Comments
____/ 5
Points
Notes & Comments
____/ 10
Points
Notes & Comments
____/ 10
Points
Notes & Comments
____/ 10
Points
Cultural Universal #4:
 Answer the questions under that cultural
universal as fully as possible (e.g. Art or
Government)
 Provide at least one image or a short video
to support the information taught.
Artifact:
Provide the class with one artifact that you’ve
created in the style of the African culture you’ve
researched
 E.g. create a piece of artwork in the style of the
culture
 E.g. make a food that is common to the culture
to share with the class
 E.g. demonstrate a dance or a song that is
unique to your culture
 E.g. tell a folktale from your culture
 E.g. teach the class a game that is played in
your culture
Quality of Prezi Presentation
 No spelling, grammar, or mechanical
errors are present
 Presentation is well rehearsed and student
does not rely on text to teach about his or
her culture
 Presentation is well organized and flows
easily
Works Cited
 A typed list of at least 3 accredited
resources is submitted prior to presenting
to the class:
o No Wikipedia or questionable websites
o All cited resources are in MLA style.
Total Points
Resources to get you started:
http://www.africaguide.com
http://www.worldbookonline.com
http://www.everyculture.com/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/
Notes & Comments
____/ 10
Points
Notes & Comments
____/ 10
Points
Notes & Comments
____/ 5
Points
Notes & Comments
____/ 5
Points
____/ 65