Meaning & use
Culturalist
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A person, especially a scholar, who emphasizes cultural factors and values as the primary explanation for social behavior, as opposed to economic or structural forces.
See it in a sentence
The culturalist argued that shared traditions, not economic policy, explained the region's resilience.
Sociologists have long debated culturalist versus structuralist explanations of poverty.
A note on using this word
Common in sociology, anthropology, and political science, often contrasted with "structuralist" or "materialist" approaches.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Relating to or characteristic of an approach that emphasizes cultural explanations over structural or economic ones.
The report took a culturalist view of the community's economic struggles.
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