What term refers to the ideas, attitudes, and beliefs of a society?

• A. Material culture
• B. Nonmaterial culture
• C. Cultural Universals
• D. Beliefs

Answer: (B)

Think about culture in terms of what you can touch versus what you can’t. The ideas, attitudes, and beliefs that guide how people think and behave are intangible aspects, so they fall under nonmaterial culture. This broad category includes values, norms, language, symbols, and religious or philosophical beliefs—things that give meaning to everyday life but aren’t physical objects. Material culture would cover the physical things people create, like clothing, tools, and buildings. Cultural universals are traits that appear across many cultures, not a label for the intangible content itself. Beliefs are part of nonmaterial culture, but the question points to the broader set of ideas and attitudes, making nonmaterial culture the right fit.