Which universal exists in all cultures but may not be used to solve the same problems?

Which universal exists in all cultures but may not be used to solve the same problems?

• A. Existential universal.
• B. Functional universal.
• C. Accessibility universal.
• D. Non-universal.

Answer: (A)

Existential universal means something that exists in all cultures but is used to address different problems depending on the culture. This fits the prompt because the feature is universal in presence across cultures, yet the way it’s applied or the problems it addresses can vary from one culture to another. A classic example is basic emotions: they’re experienced everywhere, but the norms around expressing or managing them differ, so the function isn’t the same across all contexts. If something were a functional universal, it would solve the same problem in every culture, which isn’t what the question describes. An accessibility universal would emphasize how easily something can be accessed across cultures, not necessarily that it exists in all cultures. A non-universal simply isn’t present in all cultures.

Existential universal means something that exists in all cultures but is used to address different problems depending on the culture. This fits the prompt because the feature is universal in presence across cultures, yet the way it’s applied or the problems it addresses can vary from one culture to another. A classic example is basic emotions: they’re experienced everywhere, but the norms around expressing or managing them differ, so the function isn’t the same across all contexts.

If something were a functional universal, it would solve the same problem in every culture, which isn’t what the question describes. An accessibility universal would emphasize how easily something can be accessed across cultures, not necessarily that it exists in all cultures. A non-universal simply isn’t present in all cultures.