Culture and Power

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Culture and Power

• How can we understand analyze aspects of
  culture (ideas, music, food, work, etc.) as they
  are embedded within institutional structures of
  power?

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How do young artists participate within and speak
back to structures of power?
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How do anthropologists participate within and
speak back to structures of power?
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4 APPROACHES

• Social Justice
• Historical
• Subjective Analysis
• Anthropology of Home

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1. Social Justice Approach

• How humans are positioned within and negotiate
  systems of inequality
• hegemony dominant culture or ideology (taken
  for granted) how people are expected to think
• we consent with the dominant culture when we do
  not ask questions

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1. Social Justice Approach Ex.

• How is Kudi positioned within systems of
  inequalityin Nigeria, in the world?
• What are the hegemonic understandings of Muslim
  cultures today?

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2. Historical Approach

• Investigating the origin of a an idea or
  discourse to denaturalize taken-for-granted
  categories

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2. Historical Approach Ex.

• What is the origin of the idea of sexuality ?
• (History of Sexuality vol 1, Foucault 1978)
• Since the 17th c., a fixation with sexuality
  creating a discourse around sexuality. This
  discourse has created sexual minorities.
• In Western society, a scientia sexualis, the
  science of sexuality, was created sexuality is
  sinful must be confessed.
• As a result, Western cultures have become fixated
  on obsessed with sexuality.

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3. Subjective Analysis is More Objective

• As the anthropologist identifies and critiques
  her background or position in relation to her
  subject, she is able to produce a more
  objective account.
• The reader can better evaluate the study and its
  findings when she is clear about the researchers
  stakes.

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3. Subjective Analysis is More Objective Ex.

• Political background civil rights,
  decolonization global equality
• Personal interests scholar, activist, yogi,
  dancer
• Race/nationality/class/gender white skin color
  privilege, US privileges, middle class family
  from NY, woman
• Geography grew up in FL participated in mixed
  language, mixed class Cuban dance community
  attended private middle high school in FL

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4. Anthropology of HomeIs Legitimate

• Cultural Difference is not only out there.
• Focusing on home allows us to understand how
  cultural difference works close to home
• If we understand how cultural difference works
  close to home, we can better understand other
  places

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NACIREMA/ AMERICAN

• Argument (p.10)
• The Nacirema belief system rests on the idea
  that the human body is ugly that its natural
  tendency is to debility and disease. The
  Nacirema have an aversion to the natural body and
  its functions. They are magic-ridden and
  masochistic people. But their exotic customs
  have meaning and will eventually guide them to
  higher stages of civilization.

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Supporting Evidence/Data

• Every household has at least one ritual shrine in
  which the natives perform daily, private
  rituals ceremonies to prevent disease and
  ugliness.
• Medicine men prepare magical charms and potions
  for natives in exchange for gifts.
  Charm-boxes are usually overflowing.
• Every member of a family bows before the
  charm-box and mingles holy water in the font, a
  rite of ablution/cleansing.

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Supporting Evidence/Data

• Natives go to holy-mouth-men to rid the mouth
  of evils. This is like ritual torture.
• The culture has masochistic tendencies men
  scrape and lacerate the surface of their faces
  with a sharp instrument, women bake their heads
  in small ovens. This is barbaric.

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Objectifying Language

• Objectifying Turning the thing or person being
  examined into an object (v. subject) of study,
  something separate/distant from the investigator
• 1920s-1960s Anthropology culture people are
  objects to be studied (like things).
  Anthropologists studied people.
• Since 1970s Culture people are subjects who
  have their own agency or will (desires, ideas,
  etc.). We study with people and communities as
  collaborators.

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Miners Objectifying Terms

• The Nacirema A Nacireman woman/man (names?)
• ritual activity everyday practice
• shrine bathroom (what do they call it?)
• natives people
• charms/potions medicine, soap, toothpaste, etc.
• medicine men doctors
• herbalist pharmacist
• charmbox medicine cabinet
• font sink
• holy water water
• rite of ablution washing face, brushing teeth
• Water Temple water purification tank

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Miners Objectifying Terms

• holy mouth men dentists
• mouth-rite teeth cleaning
• magical materials fillings
• sharp instrument razor
• vestal maidens nurses
• gift money
• neophyte patient
• listener therapist

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How can we write about other cultures?

• Pay attention to cultural framing. Is the
  event a casual event or a religious ceremony?
• Ask the people what they think!
• Participant Observation
• Interview Formal informal
• LISTENING
• Opening question what do you think about or
  whats it like to..? List of 10 questions