Word for the opposite of universality
I am looking for a word that implies the unique/non-translatable aspects of a specific place or culture. It's for an academic paper, so feel free to pull suggestions from theory etc.
The author argues that the text does not appeal to universality but, on the contrary, to {{what is local/not shared by others}}.
Current option is "locality" or "the local" but neither feel quite right.
Generally speaking, the opposite of universality is particularity, which means
The quality of being individual.
In your example, it reads:
The author argues that the text does not appeal to universality but, on the contrary, to the particularity of the place/culture.
If you really want to emphasize the "non-translatability" aspect, you might go with haecceity (/hek-SAY-ih-TEE/), which means:
The property of being a unique and individual thing.
It comes from the Latin word for thisness and strongly connotes a thing's (almost metaphysical) uniqueness.
In your example it reads:
The author argues that the text does not appeal to universality but, on the contrary, to the haecceity of the place/culture.
I would go with specificity. An alternative is some form of the word context.
Here's a well-cited academic paper that uses universality and specificity in its title, for instance.
In your example,
The author argues that the text does not appeal to universality but, on the contrary, to specificity.
If this is what you're looking for, I'd also suggest adding what the text specifically applies to.
singularity
Oxford English dictionaries:
- The state, fact, quality, or condition of being (single or unique)
Singularity also has the added connotation of singular's definition of exceptionally good or great.
relativity
Oxford English dictionaries:
- The absence of standards of absolute and universal application: moral relativity
Cultural relativism is the principle that an individual person's beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual's own culture. ~ Wikipedia