In cultural study, arbitrariness means another choice could serve equally.

Evidence

Why “arbitrary”? We often use the word as a synonym for random, unfair, or superficial, but in the study of language and culture, arbitrary denotes choices where an alternative could serve the same purpose. Within spoken language, words are based on an arbitrary relationship between the signifier (the sound we make) and the signified (the meaning). The movements of the lips, tongue, and vocal cords to make the sound /dɒɡ/ in English are arbitrary, because another sound could also signify “dog,” the concept. To that point, the French communicate perfectly well about canines using the word chien instead. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 115

Categorization

• DEFINE: Precise, useful definition distinguishing the technical sense of ‘arbitrary’ (Saussurean signifier/signified) from the everyday pejorative sense.
• XREF: Connects to Saussure’s arbitrariness of the sign and to Bourdieu’s account of arbitrary customs legitimizing social reproduction. — connects to: Cultural stagnation can be reversed by choosing new norms and values — W. David Marx, Blank Space: A Cultural History of the…, 38; Cultural stagnation is reversible political choice rather than inevitability. — W. David Marx, Blank Space: A Cultural History of the…, 848; The past informs the individual but can be re-captured through successive choices. (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• A concept can mix necessity and substitutability across its dimensions. #expands (0.82) — Gary Goertz, Social Science Concepts and Measurement, 1087
• Cultural stagnation is reversible political choice rather than inevitability. #expands (0.80) — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 848
• Alternative institutional arrangements can substitute for one another to produce the same outcome #exemplifies (0.80) — Gary Goertz, Social Science Concepts, 1657
• Cultural stagnation can be reversed by choosing new norms and values #expands (0.78) — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 38
• The past informs the individual but can be re-captured through successive choices. #exemplifies (0.75)