Learning Objectives

After studying this chapter, you will be able to do the following:

  • Define the concept of culture.
  • Explain how Enlightenment views shaped the concepts of culture and identity.
  • Explain how social forces divide people into various groupings and shape views of identity.
  • Identify and compare the different academic fields that study culture and identity.
  • Explain how globalization can serve as a driver for cultural integration and polarization, as well as homogenization and hybridization.