The Generalities of Culture

The opening sentence in this chapter is one that I don't understand. I don't know that I agree that my life can, in any way, be related to someone in the Sudan who has just lost their whole family because they are a different faith than someone else. I know that most people in America share the same type of existence: Get up, go to work, go to school, and so on. However, someone in a country where the only thing on their mind is, "am I going to eat today!" or "am I going to die today or get my arms chopped off," couldn't possibly relate to my life of it's "Generalities." Maybe I'm just not understanding the statement posed. Any thoughts on the matter?