Which concept occurs when cultural traits are logically consistent with one another, but may be logically inconsistent or neutral in relation to one another?

• A. Cultural diffusion
• B. Innovation
• C. Master status
• D. Cultural integration

Answer: (D)

Cultural integration centers on how the different cultural traits of a society fit together to form a coherent whole. When beliefs, practices, norms, and institutions reinforce one another, they are logically consistent within that culture. At the same time, those same traits can be neutral or even clash when you compare them with traits from other cultures, because integration focuses on internal coherence rather than cross-cultural compatibility.

This explains the given situation: within one culture, the traits align and support each other, but when viewed in relation to other cultures, they may not line up as neatly. The other options describe different ideas (diffusion is the spread of traits between cultures, innovation is the creation of new traits, and master status is a dominant social position), none of which captures the sense of internal consistency coupled with varying relationships to other cultures.