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CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART (continued):Art as a Status Symbol

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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Lesson 43
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART (continued)
Functionalist Perspectives Concerning Art
Manilowski tended to emphasize how various cultural elements function for the psychological well-being of
the individual. Radcliff-Brown stressed how a cultural functional element of art functions to contribute to
the well-being or continuity of society.
Psychological Benefits of Art
For the artist, artistic impressions enable expression of emotional energy in a concrete and visible manner.
The creative tension released via artistic expression brings personal gratification.
Works of art evoke emotional responses from their viewers, which can be positive or negative, but do help
relieve stress.
Art and Social Integration
Art functions to sustain longevity of the society in which it is found. Art is connected to other parts of the
social system and used to evoke positive feelings for its rulers.
Even in ancient Aztec and Egyptian civilizations the ziggurats and pyramids served to provide a visual
reinforcement of the awesome power of the rulers.
Art forms like music also help reinforce social bonds and cultural themes. Martial music, on the other hand,
helps rally people against a common enemy. Story-telling also passes on social values from one generation
onto the next, whereby helping social integration.
Art and Social Control
A popular perception concerning artists is that they are non-conformist, visionary and aloof. Art often
reinforces existing socio-cultural systems. It also instills important cultural values and influences people to
behave in socially appropriate ways.
Art can buttress inequalities of existing stratification systems. In highly stratified societies, state
governments use art for maintaining the status quo and to solicit obedience and respect.
Art as a Status Symbol
Acquiring art objects provides a convincing way to display one's wealth and power. Possessing art objects
implies high prestige due to its uniqueness.
Art in ancient Egypt was the personal property of the pharos. Art galleries often exhibit personal collections
obtained from high ranking members of society.
Art as a Form of Protest
Art functions as a vehicle for protest, resistance and even revolution. Various artists have attempted to raise
the consciousness of their countrymen through their poems, painting and plays and helped instigate socio-
political changes.
Useful Terms
Consciousness ­ the feelings, sentiments and thoughts of a person or of a given people
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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Acquiring ­ obtaining
Status quo ­ the existing system
Ziggurats ­ ancient places of worship in the South American continent, renowned for their architectural
design
Suggested Readings
Students are advised to read the following chapters to develop a better understanding of the various
principals highlighted in this hand-out:
Chapter 15 in `Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective' by Ferrarro and Chapter 26 in `Anthropology' by Ember
Internet Resources
In addition to reading from the textbook, please visit the following web-site for this lecture, which provide
useful and interesting information:
Art and Anthropology:
www.anthroarcheart.org or www.artandanthropology.com or www.augie.edu/dept/art
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Table of Contents:
  1. WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY?:Cultural Anthropology, Internet Resources
  2. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE AND THE APPLICATION OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
  3. MAJOR THEORIES IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Diffusionism
  4. GROWTH OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY (continued):Post Modernism
  5. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Comments on Fieldwork
  6. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):Census Taking
  7. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD
  8. ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):THE DISTRIBUTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES
  9. FOCUSING ON LANGUAGE:Languages of the World, Structure of Language
  10. FOCUS ON LANGUAGE (continued):Levels of Complexity, Cultural Emphasis
  11. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURES:Optimal Foraging, Suggested Readings
  12. FOOD AND CULTURE (continued):Food Collectors, Food Production
  13. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURE (continued):Pastoralism, Agriculture
  14. RELEVANCE OF KINSHIP AND DESCENT:Kinship Criteria, Rules of Descent
  15. KINSHIP AND DESCENT (continued):Tracing Descent, Primary Kinship Systems
  16. THE ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE:Economic Aspect of Marriage
  17. ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE (continued):Family Structures
  18. GENDER AND CULTURE:Gender Stratification, Suggested Readings
  19. GENDER ROLES IN CULTURE (continued):Women Employment, Feminization of Poverty
  20. STRATIFICATION AND CULTURE:Social Ranking, Dimensions of Inequality
  21. THEORIES OF STRATIFICATION (continued):The Functionalists, Conflict Theorists
  22. CULTURE AND CHANGE:Inventions, Diffusion, Donor, Conventional
  23. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Cultural Interrelations, Reaction to Change
  24. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Planned Change, Globalization
  25. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION:Bands, Tribal Organizations, Chiefdoms
  26. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):State Systems, Nation-States
  27. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):Social Norms, Informal Mechanisms
  28. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE:Emotional Development, Psychological Universals
  29. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE (continued):Origin of Customs, Personality Types
  30. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE:Ideology in Everyday Life, Hegemony
  31. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE (Continued):Political ideologies, Economic Ideology
  32. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES:Variation in Associations, Age Sets
  33. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES (continued):Formation of Associations
  34. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE:Similarity in Human Adaptations
  35. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE (continued):Inter-group Relations
  36. CULTURE AND BELIEFS:Social Function of Religion, Politics and Beliefs
  37. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE:Changing Definitions of Local Knowledge
  38. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE (continued):The Need for Caution
  39. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT:Influence of Development Notions
  40. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Contentions in Development
  41. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Operational
  42. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART:Relevance of Art, Art and Politics
  43. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART (continued):Art as a Status Symbol
  44. ETHICS IN ANTHROPOLOGY:Ethical Condemnation, Orientalism
  45. RELEVANCE OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Ensuring Cultural Survival