This lecture discusses key concepts in anthropological theories of culture. It defines culture as a general human capacity for symbolic thought and meaning-making acquired through social learning. Cultures refer to observable patterns of thought and behavior. The lecture contrasts functionalist, structuralist, and structural-functionalist theoretical frameworks, and examines how cultural and social systems can be distinguished while also being interrelated. It emphasizes that cultures evolve over time through processes of cultural change rather than being static traditions.
Decarbonising Buildings: Making a net-zero built environment a reality
Sc2218 Lecture 4 (2008a)
1. SC2218: Anthropology and the Human Condition Lecture 4: CULTURE, cultures, and the Human Condition Eric C. Thompson Semester 1, 2008/2009
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13. How Social Systems & Cultural Systems Work A Comparison of Cities as Social Systems to Countries as Cultural Systems (See Additional Slides)
14. Social & Cultural Systems The Comparison of Cities as Social Systems and Countries as Cultural Systems illustrates the distinction between the two. But neither exists without the other. We always live our lives in social systems (of relationship and exchange) and cultural systems (of beliefs and ideas).
15. Three Theoretical Frameworks: Functionalism Structuralism Structural-Functionalism These are only three among many other * theoretical frameworks in Anthropology. We will be referring back to these three throughout the course. *You are not expected to know all of these. But we will refer to some in the course. The linked webpage gives a good overview.
16. Bronislaw Malinowski (seated second from right) Functionalism Cultural systems serve to meet basic human needs… Such as reproduction, food, shelter, health, etc.
17. Structuralism A structure is a model of (social and cultural) relationships, which “exhibits the characteristics of a system. It is made up of several elements, none of which can undergo a change without effecting changes in all other elements.” (Levi-Strauss, 1963, p.279) The structure of a social system remains constant even as individuals move in, through, and out of society, through birth, marriage, and death. Claude Levi-Strauss (1949: Elementary Structures of Kinship ) (1963: Structural Anthropology ) Claude Levi-Strauss
18. Structural-functionalism: Society is an organic whole – a social organism – whose structures and components function together to ensure the efficiency, equilibrium, and the continuity of society. Prominent anthropologists who promoted structural- functionalist models of society include E. E. Evans-Pritchard and A. R. Radcliffe-Brown . E.E. Evans-Pritchard
19. How to sort all that out?!? Functionalism… Structuralism… Structural-Functionalism… My brain hurts! Try thinking about these theories if you used them to explain “what is a car?”…
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23. Now, consider how we might discuss cars as a socio-cultural system . . .
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27. We will refer back to these theoretical frameworks as we examine specific cultural systems in the coming weeks; Such as… *Families and Kinship *Gender & Sexuality *Economic Organization & Exchange *Ethnicity, Race, Nationalism…
28. Culture: Processes of Being, Becoming, and Interacting All human beings have a capacity for “Culture”* Our lives are an ongoing process of learning and changing through symbolic interaction with others. *Refer to the readings by both Handwerker & Cronk.
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32. “ It’s a mistake to name a process after a product . . . You can still go fishing if you never catch a fish” - From the Film “Sight Unseen” It is important to remember that: “ Culture” as a general capacity for conceptualization and process of symbolic interaction & interpretation Is distinct from… “ cultures” as a patterned outcome of processes of “Culture”