Religious System. The means for providing meaning and motivation beyond the material aspects of life, that is, the spiritual side of a culture or its approach to the supernatural. This transcending system may lift a people to great heights of accomplishment, as is witnessed in the pyramids of Egypt and the Renaissance of Europe. It is possible to project the history and future of India, for instance, in terms of the impact of its belief in reincarnation, which is enshrined in its major religion. Diverse national cultures can be somewhat unified under a shared religious belief in Islam or Christianity, for example. In some countries, Islam is becoming the Association System. The network of social groupings that people form, whether in person or electronically. These may range from fraternal and secret societies to professional/trade associations. Some cultures are very group-oriented and create formal and informal associations for every conceivable type of activity (e.g., the culture in the United States). In some countries, families organize into clans, finding it difficult to work together for the common national good, as in Afghanistan and Iraq. Other societies are individualistic and avoid such organizing, such as in France.