TOW #21 "The Individual and the Pattern of Culture"

   In her essay "The Individual and the Pattern of Culture", anthropologist Ruth Benedict begins by stating that society is not antagonistic to the individual. This idea is a misconception, she argues, because society is built by the contributions of its individuals, and the individuals rely on the society to build their lives. Then Benedict goes on to explore the place of the individual within a society, and how individuals who embody traits not valued by the society function within that society. "The Individual and the Pattern of Culture" is a chapter from a larger work by Benedict, Patterns of Culture, written in 1934. Throughout the chapter, Benedict compares the traditions and ways of life of multiple Native American tribes to each other as well as to contemporary American culture to explore how their is not one set of  true normal standards for a society. Ultimately, she concludes that recognition of this "social relativity" as she calls it will help us to better understand and tolerate other cultures.
   Benedict describes how individuals who behave in a way that may be seen as unacceptable in one culture may have characteristics that are prized in another. For example, she compares the way people in two different Native American tribes are expected to deal with frustration and despair: "Those who, in a situation in which they are frustrated, naturally seek ways of putting the occasion out of sight as expeditiously as possible are well served in Pueblo culture... On the other hand, those who react to frustration as to an insult and whose first thought is to get even are amply provided for on the Northwest Coast," (Benedict par. 9-10). In the two cultures, it is considered acceptable to react in two different ways, and the opposite behaviors would be unexpected and even shocking to the opposite tribes. Thus Benedict demonstrates how each culture believes their standards for behavior to be universal, and yet there is no single set of "correct" standards.
   Benedict also shows how individuals who do not have the characteristics valued by their own culture are not supported by their society. Often these individuals in the end are force to conform. This situation can occur, Benedict notes, as a society changes over time. She cites the example of literary figure Don Quixote, who subscribed to the ideas of chivalry after that era had passed, and this behavior discredited him in the eyes of his society.
   Sometimes individuals may be better suited for a culture that is not their own. However, because of distance or the passage of time, individuals can not necessarily relocate to different societies until they find a culture that fits them. Benedict argues that because customs differ from community to community and even individuals within a community differ, we need to accept that there is not one single set of standards that are normal. This recognition will help tolerance inside and between cultures, and will help foster better coexistence.