Cultural Artifact Analysis: Vintage Car - Essay Example

Cultural Artifact With the advancement of the science & technology, everything else progresses as well. Man has come out of Stone Age & has reached the skies only because of the development in technology. The first simple machine the man of the Stone Age ever invented was of the utmost importance, the wheel. With this very first invention, man gradually devised ways & methods to make his life comfortable & to resolve the various mysteries that the nature enfolds. With this insightfulness & thorough hard work, man was finally able to achieve today’s heights. Even so, the experiments are carried out continuously for achieving best results and eradicating the previous flaws. In the older times when the wheel was not yet invented, man used animals as means of transportation & carrying load from one place to another. After the advent of the wheel, man invented bicycle which ran by the mechanical force of its bearer & also carts & wagons which were pulled by animals. More time passed & man came to know about the metals, its properties & molding methods. Thus, the era of automobiles came into existence. In the initial stages of evolution, automobiles were run by a steam powered engine. Most of these were lacking a roof. The steam powered automobiles kept on developing till the 20th century but the majority was inclined towards the petrol engines in the late 19th century, so the steam powered engines were only left as curiosity. I chose a car as my artifact as I think a car is one of the most important inventions in the world, it made the world "smaller" and has changed the method of travelling. With a car in campus, I can go anywhere quicker than without a car. I use my car to go to school every day and I can reach distant spots such as Meijer, Target or Meridian Mall in only a while. America is usually referred to as "the country on the wheels" as nearly everyone in the U.S. has at least one car. In China the rate of cars is also increasing everyday and it is through this that they can be able to save a lot of time. Gradually with time cars have also evolved as a fashionable item which people change every now and then. I own a vintage car as it represents my culture and values that have been embedded in me throughout my life. The car makes me proud as it helps to reach certain places at the quickest possible time along with reminding me of the cultural values. The car helps me realize the times when we did not have cars our country and I used to stare at these vintage cars on the road. The vintage cars help me realize that the society has not modernized but rather the people have. The artifact gives me a feeling of purity and helps me to understand the subtle complexities of life which include my past. However as I have entered the world of wheels, I have come to realize that this artifact forms a necessary sphere of my life as I possibly cannot imagine my life without it. I believe that if I did not possess the car then I would not be moving with the pace of the world and would be lagging around. I would have missed my classes or not reach in time for the special events. It has proved to be a beneficial source to me as it reminds me of my cultural values along with the benefit of reaching places on time (Thaddeus 7-8). Some of my friends also own vintage cars and they originally belong to different places of the world. Some of them love the brands whereas some believe in the cultural endeavors that I possess. Most of the people around me however own modern cars which are equipped with the best possible options. These cars also exhibit the culture that they were possibly brought up in. The modern cars exhibit a modern look which shows that these people have been brought up in times where poverty was mostly unusual. Hailing from a background where I have seen poverty in my everyday life, my vintage car best exhibits the cultural values back in my country. The artifact fulfills the purpose of travelling whereas keeping my cultural values intact. The modern cars also do have different functions which my car does not possess and this leaves me behind in terms of technology. I usually love to keep vintage cars as they fulfill both the purpose of travelling and remember me of the cultural values (Elliott 4-5). I believe that the modern cars cannot replace my artifact as they represent a sight of modernism and wealth. My artifact can only be replaced by the other vintage cars that my friends possess. Although I do purely believe that my artifact should not be distorted in any way as it feels that my culture is being played with. A conservative culture can best be represented through the vintage cars in my belief. It can be said so because usually the conservative people do not show off in anyway and rather live as a family. Vintage cars are a sign of conservatism as they are shaped in a fashion that gives an old look. This old look can be compared to conservatism as mostly the people in that age were not this modernized. Over time I have realized that my artifact is as close to me as other artifacts are to people of different cultures. People coming from different regions show their cultural values through these artifacts. Some people wear a black thread in their neck to show their cultural values whereas some wear bands to show their values. I personally believe that my vintage car is the best possible example to portray cultural values instilled into me by my family. The only thing that can replace my artifact is just another vintage car which would be in a good condition. Works Cited Top of Form Thaddeus, Martin. Classic Car Electrics: Tips, Techniques & Step-by-Step Repair, Restoration & Maintenance Procedures. Dorchester: Veloce, 2006. Print. < http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=B5UB34Dm3P0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Classic+Car+Electrics:+Tips,+Techniques+%26+Step-by-Step+Repair,+Restoration+%26+Maintenance+Procedures&source=bl&ots=MgJXZWhrGy&sig=FuD2YR-94wNvYRav44eB8LhS3OQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ryZrUOjfN8W5hAeFoIB4&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA> Top of Form Elliott, Sue. Street Machines: Classic, Muscle Cars, Modern. Minneapolis, MN: MBI Pub. Company/Motorbooks, 2010. Print. < http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=rtSJSFieQscC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Street+Machines:+Classic,+Muscle+Cars,&source=bl&ots=e_JMpZkSAI&sig=-rcWKD9wVR7lmd_t0xHQ8Kgp7-o&hl=en&sa=X&ei=viZrUJzHFZC5hAeHi4GIAg&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA> Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More