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35 pages 1 hour read

Patterns of Culture

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1934

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Essay Topics

1.

Compare and contrast Benedict’s portrayals of the Zuñi, Dobuans, and Kwakiutl. How do these case studies support her theory of cultural patterns?

2.

Benedict’s book is credited for popularizing the term “culture” to a mid-20th-century audience. How is Benedict’s definition of culture relevant today? What, if anything, can be changed or added to her definition of the culture so that it resonates with 21st-century audiences?

3.

What would Patterns of Culture look like if the case studies of the Zuñi, Dobuans, and Kwakiutl were not included in it? Could the book still be considered an anthropological text? If so, why? If not, why not?

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