Culture is the set of variables used by social groups to adapt or respond to life. It includes both material and nonmaterial elements of society: material culture is composed of tangible items such as bus tokens or metro passes produced by society; automobiles, restaurants and physical structures housing worship centers may all fall into this category as tangible items; while nonmaterial culture refers to their beliefs and ideas which a society shares among themselves. Sociologists have discovered several cultural universals. These universal patterns exist across human societies. One such pattern is the family unit; while family structures vary depending on culture, all societies recognize a relationship between parents and children. Other cultural universals include language usage and personal name conventions as well as humor as a way to ease tensions and foster community spirit. Cultural differences also stem from each society's values. Values represent standards to which societies aspire, such as hard work and wealth accumulation in North American culture; for instance, this represents their belief that anyone can become wealthy if given enough effort. Values influence society's perception of reality and how people act in particular situations, for instance if a society values celibacy it may expect young people to abstain from having children.

Christian, Islamic and Jewish women who cover their hair use various covers - from veils and caps to scarves and snoods - when covering their locks. Veils tend to only be worn at religious services or events while Muslim veiling involves wearing an Abaya (loose black garment that covers everything except face and hands) while Jewish veiling often uses kosher-hair wigs that allow them to attend synagogues without fear of eating meat or dairy that violate their religious beliefs or wearing a tichel - which allows pinned-on scarf securing it against one side or another hairpiece that can also cover this way of covering up. Why people wear religious head coverings can vary significantly and be affected by factors like culture, family traditions, superstitions or misplaced modesty. Social and Cultural Context of Women Head Coverings in Islam & Judaism For centuries, veil has long been seen as a sign of religious identity and cultural resistance against colonial rule. [part-unreadable]

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