Using examples from the text, describe two ways that culture ...

[Alainaaa8]

Using examples from the text, describe two ways that culture shapes a natural human function.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Describe the cultural materialist perspective and an example of the perspective applied to a cultural practice.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[lorealeza77]

Answer to Question 1

Answer: The ideal answer will include:
1. Eating: Cheese is considered an acceptable food in some places, but not others.
2. Drinking: Consumption of alcohol in U.S. fraternities is understood to create and reinforce social bonds.
3. Sleeping: Corporate culture in North America places a value on sleeping relatively little.
4. Eliminating: Locations in Europe have public outdoor street urinals; the function is kept more private in other cultural contexts.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: The ideal answer will include:
1. The cultural materialist believes culture is shaped by material factors.
2. Culture is divided into a three-level system: infrastructure, structure, and superstructure.
3. The example given in the text is the sacred cows of Hinduism. A cultural materialist emphasizes practical benefits they provide, and de-emphasizes the beliefs associated with them.