Anthropology 152 Culture and Humanity

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Anthropology 152 Culture and Humanity

• Chapter 14
• The Arts

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Ch. 14 What you should know

• 1) Why anthropologists are interested in the
  arts.
• 2) Forms of verbal arts how they function in
  society
• Myth
• Legend
• Tale
• 3) The function of music.
• 4) The range of visual and plastic arts in human
  societies.

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What is Art?

• The creative use of the human imagination to
  interpret, express, and enjoy life.
• Although the idea of art serving nonuseful,
  nonpractical purposes is common (Modern/Western)
• In many cultures art usually serves what are
  regarded as important, practical purposes.

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Why are Anthropologists interested?

• Anthropologists have found that art reflects a
  peoples cultural values and concerns.
• Especially true of verbal arts myths, legends
  and tales.
• How people order their universe
• A peoples history
• Music and the visual arts may provide insights
  into peoples worldview and history
• American movies American worldview?

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Myths, Legends, Tales

• Myth A sacred narrative explaining how the world
  came to be in its present form.
• Creation myths
• Legend Stories told as true, set in the
  postcreation world.
• Urban Legends (Reagan and the Chicago Welfare
  Queen)
• Epic long oral narratives, sometimes in poetry
  of rhythmic prose, recounting the glorious events
  in the life of a real of legendary person.
• Ramayana
• Tale A creative narrative recognized as fiction
  for entertainment
• Father, Son and Donkey (distribution - cultural
  validity)

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Artistic emphasis

• Artistic emphasis differs among peoples depending
  on cultural values.
• Writing is an art form in one culture, tea
  drinking, and cockfighting in yet another.
• What art forms are emphasized in our culture?
• Our values?

The art of tea
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Art Power

• Art is often regarded as inherently powerful.
• Art Religion
• Trance States
• Interpretation
• Aesthetic
• Narrative
• Interpretive
• (e.g. Last Supper)

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Art social structure

• The arts have many connections with social
  structure.
• Artistic objects may be made for, owned by, or
  represent powerful elites.
• Art can also contest power by mocking those in
  power or questioning societys rules.
• Musical examples?

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Social function of music

• Like tales, songs may express a groups concerns,
  but with greater formalism because of the
  restrictions imposed by the closed system of
  tonality, rhythm, and musical form.
• A powerful way for a social or ethnic group to
  assert its distinctive identity.
• Advance particular political, economic and social
  agendas.

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Art cultural integration

• The arts, in both their production and their
  display, are significant elements in cultural
  integration.
• Art may bring people into a common emotional
  state as they respond to culturally meaningful
  symbols.
• Art need not last beyond its original function.
• Sand painting, Bach, other?

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Art cultural identity

• Art may express a peoples cultural identity
• Their interpretation of their history.
• Art may also be used to represent the other.

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Art ethnic boundary marker

• The arts are important ethnic boundary markers in
  the contemporary world.
• With the increase in tourism objects,
  performances, and rituals, which originally had
  spiritual meanings, become transformed into
  staged displays of cultural identity.
• How why might an anthropologist study tourism?