Despite the many superficial differences among human societies, they all have underlying similarities. People everywhere over the globe, no matter when they lived, have all structured their societies in similar ways. We have categorized these ways into the “Five Elements of Society,” which provide us a structure by which to study human society in the Humanities program. Below, each element is defined and explained. You should memorize the definitions and know what sorts of activities concern each element. These terms are used in particular ways, and your familiarity with them is expected when writing papers or taking tests.