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Universals, Culturals, Personals to properly understand culture, you must first understand the three levels of behavior that exist in human interactions. These levels—Universals, Culturals, and Personals—are essential for a comprehensive grasp of intercultural communication and cultural dynamics.

Firstly, Universals refer to behaviors and needs that are shared across all human societies. Universals include fundamental aspects such as family, emotions, basic physical needs, occupation or work, and knowledge acquisition and transmission. While the ways in which these universals are expressed or handled can vary greatly from culture to culture, the underlying needs remain consistent. For instance, all cultures have some form of family structure, but the specifics—whether a nuclear or extended family—differ. Recognizing Universals helps avoid ethnocentric misconceptions, as behaviors considered "normal" or "natural" are actually common to all human societies, regardless of their cultural specificities.

The concept of Universals was extensively explored by George Murdock, who compiled an extensive list of behaviors and institutions that occur across cultures. These include athletic sports, bodily adornment, calendar systems, cleanliness training, community groups, cooking practices, cooperative labor, cosmology, courtship rituals, dancing, decorative art, division of labor, dream interpretation, education, eschatology, ethics, etiquette, family, feasting, fire making, folklore, food, funeral rites, games, gestures, gift giving, government, greetings, hairstyles, hospitality, housing, hygiene, incest taboos, inheritance, joking, kinship, language, law, luck, magic, marriage, mealtimes, medicine, modesty, mourning, music, mythology, nomenclatures, numerals, obstetrics, penal sanctions, personal names, policy, population, postnatal care, property rights, puberty rituals, religious rituals, residence rules, sexual restrictions, soul concepts, status differences, supernatural beings, superstitions, surgery, taboos, tool making, trade, visiting practices, weather control, weaving, and more. The consistency of these universals across human groups underscores their fundamental importance in human life.

Next, Culturals are patterns of shared behaviors, beliefs, and values that are distinctive of a particular group. This concept emphasizes that culture is an accumulated pattern that develops over time via shared experiences, history, and language. The critical distinction of Culturals lies in their shared and collective nature, which creates a cohesive identity for groups of people. Shared language, including both verbal and nonverbal forms, serves as a key component of culture because it allows for the transmission of values and meanings. For example, the tradition of greeting with a handshake may be a cultural pattern in some societies, but it can differ or evolve in others. Culture functions as a framework within which individual behaviors and beliefs are shaped; it is the "software" programming group behaviors and beliefs in a collective manner.

However, not all individuals within a culture strictly adhere to cultural patterns. The behavior of individuals can sometimes diverge from cultural norms due to personal preferences, beliefs, or circumstances. These deviations are represented by the third level of human interaction: Personals. Personals are unique behaviors, beliefs, or preferences that belong solely to individuals and may contrast with cultural norms. For instance, while it may be culturally standard to wear wedding rings when married, an individual with allergies or personal objections may choose not to wear one. Such individual variations highlight that people are more than just their culture; they possess personal identities and beliefs that can diverge from collective norms.

Understanding the interaction of Universals, Culturals, and Personals is crucial in intercultural communication. It allows for a more nuanced appreciation of behaviors and beliefs, preventing stereotypes and promoting empathy. For example, in intercultural encounters, recognizing that a particular gesture or practice may be both universal in its existence across cultures but also culturally specific in its expression and personally variable in its adoption can foster more respectful and effective communication.

Effective intercultural understanding is achieved by careful consideration of these three levels. Recognizing Universals provides a foundation of shared human needs, understanding Culturals helps appreciate group-specific differences, and acknowledging Personals emphasizes respect for individual variations. Combining awareness of these levels fosters cultural sensitivity, reduces misunderstandings, and promotes meaningful interactions across diverse societies.

To conclude, comprehending the distinctions and interactions among Universals, Culturals, and Personals is fundamental to mastering intercultural communication. Universals represent the fundamental human needs and behaviors shared globally, Culturals delineate the specific shared patterns of behavior and beliefs characteristic of particular groups, and Personals remind us of individual differences that exist within any cultural context. An integrative understanding of these levels not only enriches our knowledge of other cultures but also enhances our ability to communicate effectively and respectfully across cultural boundaries.

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Understanding culture in a comprehensive manner requires a nuanced grasp of the three fundamental levels of human behavior: Universals, Culturals, and Personals. Each level contributes uniquely to how humans interact within and across societies, influencing communication, social norms, and individual identities. Recognizing these layers is essential for anyone seeking to develop cultural competence and foster respectful and effective intercultural interactions.

Universals are behaviors and needs that are present in all human societies. They form the common ground that unites humanity through shared biological and social requirements. Examples of Universals include family structures, emotional expressions, basic physical needs such as food and shelter, the pursuit of knowledge, and social institutions like marriage and governance. The significance of Universals lies in their universality; despite cultural differences in expression and form, these fundamental aspects are essential components of human life across all societies. Recognizing Universals allows intercultural communicators to understand what aspects of human behavior are shared regardless of cultural background, fostering a sense of common humanity (Murdock, 1945).

George Murdock's extensive research, embodied in his list of Universals, exemplifies this shared human experience. His classification ranges from athletic activities and cosmological beliefs to taboos and legal sanctions, illustrating the breadth of these common traits. For example, culinary practices and social gestures like greetings appear worldwide, but their specific forms may differ culturally. These Universals form the foundation upon which cultural particularities are built, serving as a baseline for understanding the diversity of human societies.

The second level—Culturals—pertains to the shared patterns of behaviors, beliefs, and values that are specific to a group or society. Culture emerges over time through accumulated experiences and shared history, creating a collective identity defined by language, norms, customs, and symbolic frameworks. Unlike Universals, which are innate or biologically rooted, Culturals are socially constructed and passed down through generations, shaping how groups interpret the world and their place within it (Geertz, 1973).

A key feature of Culture is language, both verbal and nonverbal, which acts as the primary conduit for transmitting values, ideas, and shared understanding. For example, greeting rituals, dress codes, and ceremonial behaviors are culturally specific, yet they serve to reinforce group cohesion and shared identity. Furthermore, cultural patterns influence perceptions of morality, resource allocation, and social roles, emphasizing that culture provides a comprehensive lens through which individuals interpret their environment (Hall, 1959).

It is important to note that individuals within a culture may deviate from normative patterns, giving rise to the third level—Personals. Personals encompass individual beliefs, preferences, and behaviors that are unique to a person and often diverge from cultural expectations. For example, a person may reject certain cultural norms, such as wearing traditional attire or practicing specific rituals, due to personal convictions or circumstances. Such deviations highlight individual agency and the diversity within cultural groups (Chiu et al., 2014).

The interplay between Universals, Culturals, and Personals is central to understanding intercultural interactions. Effective communication requires not only awareness of shared human needs but also sensitivity to cultural specificities and respect for individual differences. For instance, a gesture considered polite in one culture may be offensive in another, yet recognizing the universality of the underlying need for respectful interaction can facilitate understanding.

In practical terms, intercultural competence involves navigating these three levels thoughtfully. Recognizing the Universals provides common ground for dialogue, understanding Culturals allows us to appreciate and adapt to group-specific behaviors, and respecting Personals honors individual uniqueness. This comprehensive approach minimizes misunderstandings and promotes mutual respect, essential components in our increasingly interconnected world (Bennett, 1993).

To sum up, appreciating the distinctions among Universals, Culturals, and Personals enriches our understanding of human behavior and enhances intercultural communication skills. Universals underscore shared human experiences, Culturals reveal group-specific patterns, and Personals remind us of individual variability. Mastery of these levels empowers us to build bridges across cultural divides, fostering a more inclusive and empathetic global society.

References

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• Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures. Basic Books.
• Hall, E. T. (1959). The silent language. Doubleday.
• Murdock, G. (1945). The common denominator of cultures. Human Biology, 17(3), 283–302.
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