The continuum is an idea that applies to all of the natural world, including life itself. We see this concept in medical terms as well: the body’s ability to heal itself varies along a spectrum of wellness to illness. Similarly, the way that parents discipline their children falls on a spectrum from strict to soft. We even have a continuum of running styles: some people are slow-twitch runners, while others are fast-twitch 5K runners.
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A range, series, or spectrum that gradually changes but has distinctly defined extremes. The length of time it takes to recover from a marathon depends on where you are on the continuum between slow-twitch and fast-twitch runners. Caste and class systems of stratification are at opposite, extreme points on the continuum in their ease of social mobility and the relative importance of achieved and ascribed statuses. Gender is also on a continuum, from male-dominated to female-dominated societies. The more gender equality, the closer we are to a perfect continuum. the continuum