The following text discusses anthropology.
Structural anthropology, pioneered by Claude Lévi-Strauss, sought universal patterns underlying cultural diversity. Inspired by structural linguistics, Lévi-Strauss argued that myths, kinship systems, and cultural practices express unconscious mental structures—binary oppositions like nature/culture, raw/cooked, or self/other that the human mind uses to organize experience. Different cultures may express these oppositions differently, but the underlying logic remains constant. Critics questioned whether these patterns were genuine discoveries or impositions of Western analytical frameworks. Yet structural analysis influenced literary criticism, semiotics, and cultural studies profoundly.
What did Lévi-Strauss believe underlies cultural diversity?
Completely random and unrelated practices
Universal unconscious mental structures that manifest differently across cultures
Explicit conscious choices by cultural leaders
Identical surface practices appearing worldwide
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. Lévi-Strauss argued cultural practices "express unconscious mental structures" that "the human mind uses to organize experience." Different cultures express them "differently, but the underlying logic remains constant."
- Evidence: Unconscious structures; different manifestations; constant logic.
- Reasoning: Deep universals with surface variation.
- Conclusion: Unconscious universal structures manifest differently.
Choice A is incorrect because patterns are proposed. Choice C is incorrect because the structures are unconscious. Choice D is incorrect because surfaces differ; underlying logic is universal.