Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Spring 2012 3.

1 Culture, Part 1 Queer Customs (Kluckhohn) Key Distinction *Society: group of people who interact more with each other than with others. *Culture: Distinctive ways of life of such a group of people. Why Do People Differ? *Destined by God or fate to different habits? Because of climate differences? Because of biological differences? Culture is . . . *Traditions and customs that . . . (1) are transmitted through learning (2) influence behaviors and beliefs. *Culture is treated as an environment that influences and is influenced by human action. *Culture is not static, it is always changing. Culture is Learned *Cultural learning depends on symbols (signs that have no necessary or natural connection to the things they stand for or signify). *Cultural learning is a process of enculturation. Enculturation *The social process by which culture is learned and transmitted within generations, across generations, or across societies. Direct Transmission. Transmission through Observation *How do boys and girls learn what constitutes proper behavior for their respective genders? *How do we learn such norms? Culture is Symbolic *Symbol: Something, verbal or non-verbal, that arbitrarily and by convention stands for something else, with which it has no natural connection. *Symbols are learned thru enculturation. *The same symbol can have different meanings within or across societies. Culture is Integrated *Cultures are integrated, patterned systems. *If one part of the system changes, other parts change as well. *What are the cultural ramifications of ideological changes? (e.g., gender roles). *What are the cultural ramifications of technological changes? Culture Can Be Adaptive or Maladaptive *Culture allows humans to continually adapt to new social, ecological, economic, etc. environments. *Cultural traits/patterns/inventions can also be maladaptivethreaten continued existence. Culture is Shared *Culture is an attribute not of individuals per se but of individuals as members of groups. *Enculturation unifies through common experiences, beliefs, values, memories, etc. Shakespeare in the Bush (Bohannan) Nave Realism *Is human nature the same everywhere? *Can a story written in one cultural context be interpreted the same way across cultures? Cultural Concept: Leadership *Cultural norms and expectations of a European King differ from those of Tiv Chief. *Concepts of leadership (e.g., rights, responsibilities, obligations to kin and subjects) vary cross-culturally.

Marry Dead Husbands Brother? *Bohannans (European) Interpretation: Inappropriate to marry brothers widow. Inappropriate to remarry quickly. *Tiv Elders Interpretation: He did well. Your fathers brother can become your father. Where were the other wives of the dead chief? (polygyny indicator of power and prestige) Points *Culture is Shared (by members of a group). Culture and the Individual: Agency and Practice

Culture influences, but does not determine, the behaviors of individuals. People do not blindly follow cultural norms, rules, and dictates. Culture is used actively and creatively by individuals. Therefore, culture is dynamic and constantly changing.

Agency Kottak: the actions that individuals take, both alone and in groups, in forming and transforming cultural identities. The capacity of human beings to affect their own life chances and those of others and to play a role in the formation of the social realities in which they participate. Cultural rules are subject to interpretation, manipulation, and contestation. Ideal Culture (what people say they should do). Real Culture (what people actually do) Problematic Assumption about Culture *Cultural ideals are equated with actual behaviors (i.e., culture predetermines peoples thoughts and actions). Practice Theory Individuals within every society have different: motives and intentions, degrees of power and influence (agency). Reciprocal relationship between the culture and the individual. Mechanisms of Culture Change Agency and Practice: Incremental change over time due to the cumulative actions in of individuals. Diffusion: Borrowing between cultures either directly or through intermediaries. Acculturation: The exchange of cultural features (e.g., language, clothing) that results when groups come into continuous firsthand contact; the original cultural patterns of either or both groups may be altered, but the groups remain distinct. Independent Invention: The process by which humans innovate, creatively finding solutions to problems. The same invention can occur in different places at different times.