Module 5:Understanding Culture

The Diversity of Human ideas, The Diversity of Human ideas, Values, Beliefs and BehaviourValues, Beliefs and Behaviour

Announcements

Lectures for Weeks 7 and 8Lectures for Weeks 7 and 8

To assist students doing the To assist students doing the Australia Asia on Australia Asia on ScreenScreen essay topic, and those doing the essay topic, and those doing the

Module 7 tourismModule 7 tourism topic, I will give a lecture topic, I will give a lecture on the feature films in week 7 (Sept 5) and on the feature films in week 7 (Sept 5) and a lecture on tourism in week 8 (Sept 12).a lecture on tourism in week 8 (Sept 12).

Announcements

Joseph Stiglitz, mentioned in my lecture on Joseph Stiglitz, mentioned in my lecture on the Asian crisis last week is talking on ‘Late the Asian crisis last week is talking on ‘Late Night Live’, Radio National 105.7 FM Night Live’, Radio National 105.7 FM today at 4.00pm. He is apparently going to today at 4.00pm. He is apparently going to talk about the IMF.talk about the IMF.

My plans for the mid-semester break: I will My plans for the mid-semester break: I will be in Jakarta for those two weeks, so please be in Jakarta for those two weeks, so please see me with essay drafts before the break.see me with essay drafts before the break.

Module 5: Understanding Culture

Overview of today’s workOverview of today’s workFirst Part of the lecture:First Part of the lecture: understanding others involves understanding others involves interpretationinterpretation

Second part of the lecture:Second part of the lecture: understanding others involves a distinctive understanding others involves a distinctive

research methodologyresearch methodology

Module 5 Objectives

Look at page 5.1 in your Study BookLook at page 5.1 in your Study Book

On successful completion of this module you should On successful completion of this module you should be able to ….be able to ….

Define an anthropological concept of cultureDefine an anthropological concept of culture List factors that may be included in a study of List factors that may be included in a study of

cultureculture Recognise that culture is socially constructedRecognise that culture is socially constructed

Module 5 Objectives

Describe assumptions and processes of Describe assumptions and processes of fieldwork as a way of investigating culturefieldwork as a way of investigating culture

Recognise that the meaning of behaviour is Recognise that the meaning of behaviour is tied to particular “culture worlds”tied to particular “culture worlds”

Use ethnographic examples to illustrate the Use ethnographic examples to illustrate the variability of culturevariability of culture

Describe how we test the validity of Describe how we test the validity of interpretationsinterpretations

The Variability of Culture

Let’s look at how varied human life isLet’s look at how varied human life is

Why will these Why will these Trobriand Island Trobriand Island children grow up children grow up with their uncle with their uncle (mother’s brother) (mother’s brother) as the main person as the main person who disciplines who disciplines them and provides them and provides their material their material needs?needs?

What is the message conveyed by the wearing of the What is the message conveyed by the wearing of the tudungtudung (veil) by modern Malay women? (veil) by modern Malay women?

Why did Why did hundreds of hundreds of young young Australian men Australian men in the late in the late 1960s go 1960s go thousands of thousands of miles from miles from their homes to their homes to engage in engage in warfare in warfare in Vietnam?Vietnam?

Why did the Khmer Rouge assassinate Why did the Khmer Rouge assassinate intellectuals and put thousands of people to intellectuals and put thousands of people to work digging canals in the 1970s?work digging canals in the 1970s?

Culture Understood as Meaning Making

If we understand culture as a practice of If we understand culture as a practice of making meaning, it focuses attention on making meaning, it focuses attention on interpretationinterpretation

Cross-culturally, that means the outsider has Cross-culturally, that means the outsider has to develop an to develop an insider understandinginsider understanding

Language and meaning

Let’s begin by saying words don’t have Let’s begin by saying words don’t have meaning they are meaning they are given meaninggiven meaning

Two useful terms:Two useful terms: Signifier – the marks on the page Signifier – the marks on the page Signified – the mental concept associated Signified – the mental concept associated

with those markswith those marks

Language and Meaning

Key understandingKey understanding: : there is no stable, there is no stable, fixed relationship fixed relationship between the signifier between the signifier and the signifiedand the signified

One example:One example: Signifier: C-a-t-t-l-eSignifier: C-a-t-t-l-e Signified: Well, lets Signified: Well, lets

see …..see …..

C-a-t-t-l-e over 1000 years ….

1000-1400 AD – 1000-1400 AD – personal property, personal property, money, capital, money, capital, wealthwealth

C-a-t-t-l-e over 1000 years ….

c. 1400 AD-c. 1400 AD-moveable moveable property, wealthproperty, wealth

C-a-t-t-l-e over 1000 years ….

After 1500 - After 1500 - beasts, livestock beasts, livestock (includes bees (includes bees and fowls)and fowls)

C-a-t-t-l-e over 1000 years ….

Present -Present -

bovines bovines

(cows, (cows,

bulls, bulls,

calves)calves)

How has the meaning of “Australian” changed?

Does “Australian” Does “Australian” today mean the today mean the same as it did in same as it did in 1901?1901?

Meaning and Absence

CottageCottage

HouseHouse

HutHut

HomeHome MansionMansion

StationStation

VillaVilla

HomesteadHomestead

Meaning and Absence

Think about the Think about the absence of a gesture, absence of a gesture, and how that might be and how that might be upsetting ….upsetting ….

Things as Signifiers

SignifierSignifier – rose – rose SignifiedSignified – flower – flower

SignifiedSignified – rose – rose SignifiedSignified - ? - ?

Culture/Meaning/Summary

Meaning is a matter of Meaning is a matter of interpretationinterpretation Meaning involves Meaning involves asking questionsasking questions Meaning involves Meaning involves tracing associationstracing associations

Meaning cross-culturally

The Ibo “hand” exampleThe Ibo “hand” example The “cassowary/bird” exampleThe “cassowary/bird” example The Koya of South India have 7 different The Koya of South India have 7 different

words for bamboo, but don’t distinguish words for bamboo, but don’t distinguish dew, fog, mist and snowdew, fog, mist and snow

Meaning cross-culturally

The Penan have 40 different words for sago The Penan have 40 different words for sago palm, but no word for “thank you”palm, but no word for “thank you”

In NE India, the Garo have at least 12 In NE India, the Garo have at least 12 different words for types of ants, but no different words for types of ants, but no single word which groups them all together single word which groups them all together like the English word “ant”like the English word “ant”

Culture- Summary

Culture may be understood as the Culture may be understood as the complex of complex of events, practices and ideasevents, practices and ideas which give meaning to which give meaning to existenceexistence

People are born into their culture/s, like language People are born into their culture/s, like language it exists ready madeit exists ready made

But like language, But like language, culture can changeculture can change Understanding culture is a matter of asking Understanding culture is a matter of asking

questions, searching for meaning in what people questions, searching for meaning in what people do or don’t dodo or don’t do

Second part of the lecture ….

The practicalities of learning about other The practicalities of learning about other culturescultures

Practicalities of learning about other’s culture

We need to interpret, We need to interpret, not just observenot just observe

Interpretation takes Interpretation takes time, and you need to time, and you need to be in the “thick of be in the “thick of things”things”

What research method What research method will work?will work?

Participant observation

The participation observation method puts The participation observation method puts the researcher in the midst of the people the researcher in the midst of the people s/he is studyings/he is studying

The researcher’s aim is to build up a “thick The researcher’s aim is to build up a “thick or rich description” informed by his or her or rich description” informed by his or her informants’ behaviour and information informants’ behaviour and information sharedshared

Supplementary methods quantitativequantitative

census takingcensus taking constructing a sociocultural indexconstructing a sociocultural index inventories of material goodsinventories of material goods standardised tests (eg health, psychological)standardised tests (eg health, psychological) compiling genealogiescompiling genealogies mappingmapping vocabulariesvocabularies archival researcharchival research

more qualitativemore qualitative biographybiography oral historyoral history oral literatureoral literature decision-tree tabledecision-tree table structured interviewsstructured interviews photographic documentationphotographic documentation

Most productive is an on-going program Most productive is an on-going program of interviews with selected informantsof interviews with selected informants

What objectives have I achieved today?

Can I now define an anthropological Can I now define an anthropological concept of culture?concept of culture?

Can I list factors that may be included in a Can I list factors that may be included in a study of culture?study of culture?

Do I recognise that culture is socially Do I recognise that culture is socially constructed?constructed?

What objectives have I achieved today?

Can I describe assumptions and processes of Can I describe assumptions and processes of fieldwork as a way of investigating culture?fieldwork as a way of investigating culture?

Do I recognise that the meaning of behaviour is Do I recognise that the meaning of behaviour is tied to particular “culture worlds”?tied to particular “culture worlds”?

Can I use ethnographic examples to illustrate the Can I use ethnographic examples to illustrate the variability of culture?variability of culture?

Can I describe how we test the validity of Can I describe how we test the validity of interpretations?interpretations?