Module 5: Understanding Culture The Diversity of Human ideas, Values, Beliefs and Behaviour

Announcements Lectures for Weeks 7 and 10 To assist students doing the Australia Asia on Screen essay topic, and those doing the Module 6 tourism topic, I will give a lecture on tourism in week 7 (14-18 April), and a lecture on the feature films in week 10 (after the break 5-9 May).

Managing your time If you are doing the tourism topic, come to the lecture and video session on tourism in week 7. If you are doing the tourism topic, come to the lecture and video session on tourism in week 7. If you are doing the tourism topic, you do not have attend the lecture or video session in week 10. If you are doing the tourism topic, you do not have attend the lecture or video session in week 10. Students doing the film study topic do not have to attend the week 7 lecture or video session. Your lecture and video session will be week 10. Students doing the film study topic do not have to attend the week 7 lecture or video session. Your lecture and video session will be week 10.

Module 5: Understanding Culture Overview of today’s work First Part of the lecture: understanding others involves interpretation understanding others involves interpretation Second part of the lecture: understanding others involves a distinctive research methodology understanding others involves a distinctive research methodology

Module 5 Objectives Look at page 5.1 in your Study Book On successful completion of this module you should be able to …. Define an anthropological concept of culture Define an anthropological concept of culture List factors that may be included in a study of culture List factors that may be included in a study of culture Recognise that culture is socially constructed Recognise that culture is socially constructed

Module 5 Objectives Describe assumptions and processes of fieldwork as a way of investigating culture Describe assumptions and processes of fieldwork as a way of investigating culture Recognise that the meaning of behaviour is tied to particular “culture worlds” Recognise that the meaning of behaviour is tied to particular “culture worlds” Use ethnographic examples to illustrate the variability of culture Use ethnographic examples to illustrate the variability of culture Describe how we test the validity of interpretations Describe how we test the validity of interpretations

The Variability of Culture Let’s look at how varied human life is

Why will these Trobriand Island children grow up with their uncle (mother’s brother) as the main person who disciplines them and provides their material needs?

What is the message conveyed by the wearing of the tudung (veil) by modern Malay women? What is the message conveyed by the wearing of the tudung (veil) by modern Malay women?

Why did hundreds of young Australian men in the late 1960s go thousands of miles from their homes to engage in warfare in Vietnam? Why did hundreds of young Australian men in the late 1960s go thousands of miles from their homes to engage in warfare in Vietnam?

Why did the Khmer Rouge assassinate intellectuals and put thousands of people to work digging canals in the 1970s? Why did the Khmer Rouge assassinate intellectuals and put thousands of people to work digging canals in the 1970s?

Culture Understood as Meaning Making If we understand culture as a practice of making meaning, it focuses attention on interpretation If we understand culture as a practice of making meaning, it focuses attention on interpretation Cross-culturally, that means the outsider has to develop an insider understanding Cross-culturally, that means the outsider has to develop an insider understanding

Language and meaning Let’s begin by saying words don’t have meaning they are given meaning Two useful terms: Signifier – the marks on the page Signifier – the marks on the page Signified – the mental concept associated with those marks Signified – the mental concept associated with those marks

Language and Meaning Key understanding: there is no stable, fixed relationship between the signifier and the signified Key understanding: there is no stable, fixed relationship between the signifier and the signified One example: One example: Signifier: C-a-t-t-l-e Signifier: C-a-t-t-l-e Signified: Well, lets see ….. Signified: Well, lets see …..

C-a-t-t-l-e over 1000 years … AD – personal property, money, capital, wealth AD – personal property, money, capital, wealth

C-a-t-t-l-e over 1000 years …. c AD- moveable property, wealth c AD- moveable property, wealth

C-a-t-t-l-e over 1000 years …. After beasts, livestock (includes bees and fowls) After beasts, livestock (includes bees and fowls)

C-a-t-t-l-e over 1000 years …. Present - bovines(cows,bulls,calves)

How has the meaning of “Australian” changed? Does “Australian” today mean the same as it did in 1901?

Meaning and Absence CottageHouseHutHome Mansion MansionStationVillaHomestead

Meaning and Absence Think about the absence of a gesture, and how that might be upsetting …. Think about the absence of a gesture, and how that might be upsetting ….

Things as Signifiers Signifier – rose Signifier – rose Signified – flower Signified – flower Signified – rose Signified – rose Signified - ? Signified - ?

Culture/Meaning/Summary Meaning is a matter of interpretation Meaning is a matter of interpretation Meaning involves asking questions Meaning involves asking questions Meaning involves tracing associations Meaning involves tracing associations

Meaning cross-culturally The Ibo “hand” example The Ibo “hand” example The “cassowary/bird” example The “cassowary/bird” example The Koya of South India have 7 different words for bamboo, but don’t distinguish dew, fog, mist and snow The Koya of South India have 7 different words for bamboo, but don’t distinguish dew, fog, mist and snow

Meaning cross-culturally The Penan have 40 different words for sago palm, but no word for “thank you” The Penan have 40 different words for sago palm, but no word for “thank you” In NE India, the Garo have at least 12 different words for types of ants, but no single word which groups them all together like the English word “ant” In NE India, the Garo have at least 12 different words for types of ants, but no single word which groups them all together like the English word “ant”

Culture- Summary Culture may be understood as the complex of events, practices and ideas which give meaning to existence Culture may be understood as the complex of events, practices and ideas which give meaning to existence People are born into their culture/s, like language it exists ready made People are born into their culture/s, like language it exists ready made But like language, culture can change But like language, culture can change Understanding culture is a matter of asking questions, searching for meaning in what people do or don’t do Understanding culture is a matter of asking questions, searching for meaning in what people do or don’t do

Second part of the lecture …. The practicalities of learning about other cultures The practicalities of learning about other cultures

Practicalities of learning about other’s culture We need to interpret, not just observe We need to interpret, not just observe Interpretation takes time, and you need to be in the “thick of things” Interpretation takes time, and you need to be in the “thick of things” What research method will work? What research method will work?

Participant observation The participation observation method puts the researcher in the midst of the people s/he is studying The participation observation method puts the researcher in the midst of the people s/he is studying The researcher’s aim is to build up a “thick or rich description” informed by his or her informants’ behaviour and information shared The researcher’s aim is to build up a “thick or rich description” informed by his or her informants’ behaviour and information shared

Supplementary methods quantitative quantitative  census taking  constructing a sociocultural index  inventories of material goods  standardised tests (eg health, psychological)  compiling genealogies  mapping  vocabularies  archival research

more qualitative more qualitative  biography  oral history  oral literature  decision-tree table  structured interviews  photographic documentation  Most productive is an on-going program of interviews with selected informants

What objectives have I achieved today? Can I now define an anthropological concept of culture? Can I now define an anthropological concept of culture? Can I list factors that may be included in a study of culture? Can I list factors that may be included in a study of culture? Do I recognise that culture is socially constructed? Do I recognise that culture is socially constructed?

What objectives have I achieved today? Can I describe assumptions and processes of fieldwork as a way of investigating culture? Can I describe assumptions and processes of fieldwork as a way of investigating culture? Do I recognise that the meaning of behaviour is tied to particular “culture worlds”? Do I recognise that the meaning of behaviour is tied to particular “culture worlds”? Can I use ethnographic examples to illustrate the variability of culture? Can I use ethnographic examples to illustrate the variability of culture? Can I describe how we test the validity of interpretations? Can I describe how we test the validity of interpretations?