a) Can't values, traditions, religion, and ideology all be encompassed under the term 'culture'? I think "values"* is a somewhat ambiguous term yet can still be significantly useful for describing human differences, and it doesn't quite fit under 'religion' or 'ideology'. For instance, "motivation" is an important quality but it is more organically transmitted through the generations than 'ideology' suggests.

b)climate and geography might simply be placed under the term 'ecology'.

c)What difference is implied between the terms 'race' and 'genetics' (in context, isn't the term 'race' superfluous?)

*or to use Thomas Sowell's more colorful term, "cultural capital"

>> a) Can't values, traditions, religion, and ideology all be encompassed under the term 'culture'?

What I'm trying to do is analyze the various components, rather than synthesize them under a blanket term such as 'culture'. Saying whether two peoples are 'culturally similar' can be determined by going to the constituents of culture.

>> For instance, "motivation" is an important quality but it is more organically transmitted through the generations than 'ideology' suggests.

I don't know quite what you mean here. I think 'ideology' gets transmitted through the generations as well. 'Motivation' seems too an individualist a concept to be used to gauge group differences. There are motivated individuals in all groups, even though they might be motivated to do different kinds of things.

>> b)climate and geography might simply be placed under the term 'ecology'.

Again, I'm trying to analyze, not synthesize.

>> c)What difference is implied between the terms 'race' and 'genetics' (in context, isn't the term 'race' superfluous?)

Race is mainly about biological differences between groups; these are not necessarily limited to genetic differences, because the biology of organisms is partly determined by their genes. Similarly genetic differences are not always racial.

"What I'm trying to do is analyze the various components, rather than synthesize them under a blanket term such as 'culture'"

Fair enough. I meant for that to be read as: If you would like less items put these together [to translate my first sentence], but if not you should at least add this item [my second sentence]. The item in question being 'values'.

" don't know quite what you mean here. I think 'ideology' gets transmitted through the generations as well.

The keyword was 'organically', but I'll clarify what was meant by that. The important difference I'm seeing between what might be called 'values' and what might be called 'ideology' is that one is intuitive and the other is formulated.

Values are where we place things on a hierarchy of importance as evidenced by our actions, desires, goals, and talents. One people might be more environmentally conscious, be interested in naval exploration (and resultingly have military naval superiority) and place special emphasis on culinary excellence. Their neighbors, on the other hand, might be less productive but more thrifty, enjoy music and dance, and have advanced health institutions and sanitary practices. Our values aren't something that are necessarily preached to us, or are formulated into codes, laws, or guidebooks , or are even something we are conscious about. Values are just what people emphasize in importance as demonstrated by their actions, product, and lifestyle. I would say ideologies are systemizations (laws, religions, codes, taboos) that are based on values.

"'Motivation' seems too an individualist a concept to be used to gauge group differences."

Get outta' here, Dienekes! Cultures are just averages of a large group of people. Of course motivation, like all other values, can differ in its mean intensity in different populations.

Jason's Rule of Thumb: If it can differ between individuals, it can differ between groups. (it's all statistical)

Race is mainly about biological differences between groups; these are not necessarily limited to genetic differences

so 'race' is necessary to refer to biological differences between groups that aren't related to genetics? What might one of these non-genetic "biological" differences be?

>> The important difference I'm seeing between what might be called 'values' and what might be called 'ideology' is that one is intuitive and the other is formulated.

I use 'ideology' in a less formal sense, as the set of values and opinions that a person holds. It is true that these values are often integrated into a "system", but I think few peoples' values are really integrated into a system. It is also true that values tend to travel in big blocks in traditional communities. These big blocks that different communities possess make them different. Whether they are systematized or not (whether they are ideologies proper), is not that important for the purpose at hand (determining group differences).

>> Of course motivation, like all other values, can differ in its mean intensity in different populations.

True. I would place motivation under Ideology, in the sense that an active disposition might be conditioned on the set of values of a community, and also under Genetics inasmuch as disposition is genetically affected.

>> so 'race' is necessary to refer to biological differences between groups that aren't related to genetics? What might one of these non-genetic "biological" differences be?

Well, biology is the study of living things. Genetics is the study of the blueprints for living things. Living things are created according to their blueprints, as these interact with their environment (starting from the cell and going all the way to the world-at-large) throughout a person's lifetime.

If by 'race', one means heritable qualities, then genetics encompasses it. If we mean biological qualities in general, then genetics does not encompass it.