Universals of culture as the basis of cultural knowledge

The article analyzes the universals of culture as a phenomenon. The properties that a universal culture should possess are analyzes. The first such property is universality. In other words, the universal of culture can be called an element of culture, represented by all peoples and at all times. This is especially important, since many modern authors call cultural phenomena universals, which in fact do not have universality at all. For example, cultural phenomena inherent only in modernity, but unknown in the near or distant past, are represented as universals of culture. The second property is that the universal culture must have extra-cultural roots, that is, some physical, physiological or behavioral prerequisites. The third property is that the universal culture should have great social significance. The fourth property is that the universal of culture must have phenomenology, that is, it must be the result of the refraction of extra-cultural prerequisites through human consciousness. Finally, the fifth property is that the universal of culture is changeable, adaptive, which makes it possible for it to be in demand in a variety of societies. At the same time, significantly changing, the universal of culture must preserve its identity. The study of the properties of cultural universals is an integral part of the educational content when teaching cultural studies.