cultural determinism: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal / Academic
Quick answer
What does “cultural determinism” mean?
The idea that culture (including beliefs, practices, and institutions) is the primary factor shaping human behavior and societal development, often to the exclusion of biological or individual psychological influences.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The idea that culture (including beliefs, practices, and institutions) is the primary factor shaping human behavior and societal development, often to the exclusion of biological or individual psychological influences.
A theoretical framework in anthropology, sociology, and philosophy positing that an individual's thoughts, personality, and actions are largely, if not entirely, determined by the cultural environment they are raised in, making culture a causal force overriding innate or genetic factors.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or grammatical differences in usage. The concept is discussed identically.
Connotations
Slightly stronger association with Marxist/sociological thought in UK academic contexts, while in US contexts it may be more frequently linked to debates in anthropology and cultural studies.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both academic registers. Possibly more common in US discussions of identity politics.
Grammar
How to Use “cultural determinism” in a Sentence
to reject ~to be accused of ~a critique of ~to subscribe to ~theories of ~Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cultural determinism” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [No direct verb form. Possible periphrastic: 'to deterministically attribute behaviour to culture']
American English
- [No direct verb form. Possible periphrastic: 'to deterministically reduce traits to culture']
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial form. 'Culturally deterministically' is grammatically possible but highly awkward.]
American English
- [No standard adverbial form.]
adjective
British English
- His analysis was criticised for its cultural determinist assumptions.
American English
- She rejected the cultural determinist framework of the older study.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually unused.
Academic
Used in critical discussions within anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and gender/race studies to critique or describe theories that overemphasize cultural influence.
Everyday
Extremely rare, would sound highly technical.
Technical
Precise term for a specific theoretical stance in the social sciences and humanities.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cultural determinism”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cultural determinism”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cultural determinism”
- Confusing it with 'cultural relativism' (the practice of judging a culture by its own standards).
- Using it as a synonym for 'cultural influence' (which is weaker; determinism implies a much stronger causal force).
- Incorrectly capitalising it as a proper noun.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Cultural influence suggests culture is one factor among many. Cultural determinism posits culture as the primary or exclusive causal force, strongly limiting the role of biology or individual agency.
Most contemporary social scientists reject strong or 'crude' forms of cultural determinism as overly simplistic. Modern approaches typically favour interactionist models that consider a complex interplay of cultural, biological, psychological, and economic factors.
Early 20th-century anthropological works sometimes presented a tribe's entire worldview and personality as rigidly determined by their cultural patterns, with little room for internal diversity or change.
It represents an extreme 'nurture' position, asserting that the cultural environment ('nurture') is the overriding factor in human development, minimising the role of innate biology ('nature').
The idea that culture (including beliefs, practices, and institutions) is the primary factor shaping human behavior and societal development, often to the exclusion of biological or individual psychological influences.
Cultural determinism is usually formal / academic in register.
Cultural determinism: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkʌltʃərəl dɪˈtɜːmɪnɪzəm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkʌltʃərəl dɪˈtɝːmɪnɪzəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No specific idioms. The term itself is a theoretical label]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a person being shaped entirely by a **culture mould** (like a 'deterministic' factory press) that stamps out their beliefs and behaviours.
Conceptual Metaphor
CULTURE IS A MOULD / CULTURE IS A PROGRAM / CULTURE IS A PRISON
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the OPPOSITE theoretical stance to cultural determinism?