Discover how to write a definition essay on material culture with the full guide from CustomWritings.com

1. COMPLETE GUIDE ON
HOW TO WRITE A
DEFINITION ESSAY ON
MATERIAL CULTURE

2. KEY STEPS OF WRITING A DEFINITION
ESSAY
01
.
The feature which sets a definition essay apart from other essays is that instead of talking
about a broad topic, you will be explaining the meaning of a term. The definition essay
you are preparing for will explain what a term means and how it can be used in different
instances.
03.
Create a thesis statement (craft a sentence that will disclose the main idea of
your paper as well as will be clear for a reader);02
.
Choose a definition you understand (make sure you understand exactly what
a particular notion means so you can dwell upon it in your paper).
Write a definition essay itself (cover the most important points concerning
the chosen topic and provide readers with some strong argumentations).

3. Begin writing your essay on material culture by creating the term’s
definition by its function, structure or analysis;
Tell the readers about what the term doesn’t mean. This difference can
sometimes help clarify the definition;
The best definition essays are those which use facts, examples and real
life stories to explain.
MODEL ORGANIZATION OF A DEFINITION ESSAY
01
.
When you are writing a definition essay, your main objective should be to present
information in a clear and understandable manner, so nothing can be confused.
Here is a pattern which you can follow to write an effective essay:
02
.
03.
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4. 1. The Beginning of Material Culture and Its Progression
2. History of Collecting Habits Culture and Ethnographic Work
3. Role of Material Culture in Portrayal of Systematic Evolution of
Society
4. What is The “Golden Age” of Museums
5. Early Establishment and School of Thought of Material Culture
6. Connection Between Anthropology and Material Culture
7. The First Material Culture Studies
7+ TOPICS FOR A DEFINITION ESSAY ON
MATERIAL CULTURE
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5. 5 IDEAS FOR THESIS STATEMENTS FOR A
DEFINITION ESSAY ON MATERIAL CULTURE
01
.
Material culture proves that objects do portray culture and society and social
analysis should be performed under the discipline of material culture so that a
refined view of cultures can be established.
03. Humans interact with material culture as a normal part of their daily lives and due
to this interaction, material culture and human living is strongly influenced by
each other, and through studying material culture gives us important clues about
the way humans live and have lived in the past.
02
.
Among the various sociologists who researched the earliest forms of modernity
and capitalism, Georg Simmel was the most significant sociologist who deduced
that material culture was important to define the nature of modern experience.
04. Most things that can be classified as material culture are often presented by the
variety of objects, but the latter concept embraces a far greater variety of
material things and substances.
05
.
One of the many characteristics that define the contemporary historical
research which is known as material culture is the interdisciplinary and cross-
disciplinary focus.

6. 5+ INTERESTING FACTS FOR A DEFINITION
ESSAY ON MATERIAL CULTURE
01
.
Origination of material culture as a study as a specialized discipline goes all
the way back to the 1990s. The progress however was slow as it took the
Journal of Material Culture another six years to begin distribution. Before
material culture, the collecting habits culture existed hundreds of years ago,
and even before that, the ethnographic work was very popular in this area.
02. During the early times of its establishment as a discipline, material culture
had a very narrow school of thought and focus area. In the beginning, it
existed within the domain of anthropology and relied on it to express,
catalogue and inventory the diverse cultures. The very first material culture
studies created an inventory of objects while defining it, these objects were
mostly from non-western or from Non-European origins. Most of these objects
belonged to the military faction, like the spear, knife and shields.
03. Although the purpose of material culture was to use the artifacts to collect
retrospective research through examining the human behavior and culture,
the real prime purpose was to objectify, create hierarchy and scrutinize the
cultural signatures of non-western cultures.

7. 5+ INTERESTING FACTS FOR A DEFINITION
ESSAY ON MATERIAL CULTURE
04
.
At the beginning of 20th century, Franz Boas introduced a unique technique of
reordering material culture that rightly captured both the audience’s attention
and increased their education. This technique, called the ‘Life Group
Arrangement’, helped recreate visual presentation of various aspects of social
lives of different cultures. These spectacles made sure that the mannequins
were dressed accordingly and were shown doing some day to day work,
portraying a certain social context.
05
.
Material сulture was used to portray the systematic evolution of society during
the famous “Golden Age” of museums. The museums used this technique to
demonstrate objects of non-westerns all the way to the advanced European
objects. This technique was used to portray the common knowledge that the
Europeans represented as the end of society’s evolution and non-westerners
represented as its beginning. This understanding didn’t survive for long as
scholars declared that it was insufficient. Later, the belief was that material
culture didn’t evolve the society by predictable cycles. Non-western material
culture was also looked at more objectively.
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8. 1. Berger, A. A. (2009). What objects mean: An introduction to
material culture. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.
2. Boivin, N. (2008). Material Cultures, Material Minds: The Impact
Of Material World On Human Thoughts, Society, And Evolution.
Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.
3. Clunas, C. (2004). Material culture and social status in early
modern China. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.
4. Miller, D. (1998). Material Cultures: Why Some Things Matter.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
5. Morgan, Lewis Henry (1877). Ancient Society.
6. Boas, Franz (1896). The Limitations of the Comparative Method
of Anthropology.
7. Levi-Strauss, Claude (1961). Structural Anthropology.
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