What does 'culture universal' refer to?

The concept of 'culture universal' refers to the abstract patterns of living and dying that can be identified across different cultures. This encompasses elements such as social structures, family roles, rituals, and responses to life and death, which exhibit similarities despite the diversity of specific cultural expressions. Culture universals help sociologists and anthropologists understand common threads in human behavior and societal organization, illustrating how certain themes related to life and death are nearly universal among all people, even if the specific manifestations of these themes vary widely.

In contrast, the other options suggest notions that are too specific or variable. Describing unique cultural practices seen in every society implies that there are specific rituals or customs, which does not capture the broader, more abstract concept of universality. Cultural beliefs that vary significantly across regions highlight the differences among cultures rather than the commonalities, while a term indicating culturally specific practices would not align with the idea of universals that transcend individual cultural contexts.