The Term Material Culture and the Association of Artifacts and Social Relations of the Individual - Research Paper Example

 Culture and material heritage is one of the significant aspects that shapes and forms the identity of an individual. The perceptions, beliefs, lifestyle, and relationship to the material objects of the individuals have profound dependencies upon the social and cultural aspects. The term material culture is a related term, which reflects the association of artifacts and social relations of the individual (Woodward, 2007, pp. 4-9). In other words, the physical entities, resources, and spaces that come under exercise by the people in order to classify and identify their culture are the material culture. Moreover, according to Jules Prown, a well-known historian describes material culture as “the study through artifacts of the beliefs — values, ideas, attitudes, and assumptions — of a particular community or society at a given time” (Clark and Brody, 2009, pp. 218). The homes, cities, schools, churches, temples, mosques, means of production, goods, and services are few of the examples of material culture. These material aspects of the culture facilitate the people in shaping and characterizing the behaviors and perceptions with which the lifestyle of the people are related. However, the beliefs, customs, traditions, language, norms and so forth, which does not have a physical existence does not fall under the definition of material culture, rather it is non-material culture (Woodward, 2007, pp.17-22). Technology for example is one of the well-defined examples of the material culture of today for many parts of the world including UK and US. This is because it has become essential for the students to have an in-depth knowledge about the technology and computers in order to survive in the todays fast pace world of business and community. While for few of the nations and societies, learning of making weaponry and hunting is the material culture for survivals (Woodward, 2007, pp. 4-9). Historians believe that material culture is one of the most influential and prevailing means that can carry the historical objects to current existence, which can link the past and present connections. In addition, the material culture facilitates in enlightening the aspects of political, social, and cultural history and unveils numerous tales and legends (Woodward, 2007, pp. 17-22). While on the other hand, the mass consumption is another aspect that needs to come under elucidation. History of mass consumption reveals the fact that US is the state that gave emergence and rise to the new and exclusive phenomenon in the history of human existence, which is the society of mass consumption. However, mass consumption is the consequence of mass production, where the members of the society have a much higher purchasing power. This is due to the reason that the price of the consumer goods tends to be lower when the productivity within the industries increases and advances and progress, which makes the goods and services reasonable and in a much affordable price to a large number of households. As an outcome, the variety of consumer goods expands and generates larger markets of consumer goods (Princen, Maniates and Conca, 2002, pp. 177-181). In fact, mass consumption is the result of social struggle and effort to leverage and have profit from the production benefits. The bigger markets such as super market and hyper-marts have come under consideration that reflects the mass consumption, although this concept does not represent an egalitarian, equal, and balanced society. The society of mass consumption reflects that the members and families of community on whole, rather than few individuals of upper class are getting the benefit of increased production of consumer goods that enlarges and spread out the range of goods on continuous basis (Princen, Maniates and Conca, 2002, pp. 177-181). This can come under well elucidation with the example that numerous consumer goods that include television, car, air-conditioners, washing machine, telephone and many more was constrained initially to a limited and small fraction of the population (primarily the upper class of the society). However, as time passed by and more countries became industrialized and developed, the production process improved, thus the consumer goods came under mass production and transformed not only the living standards but also the notion of necessities and luxuries of the general populace. Consequently, currently even the low-income households can also easily afford such luxuries of life. This is because the meaning of luxuries and necessities has changes over the course of period and the luxuries of past times come under regard as the necessities of today (Princen, Maniates and Conca, 2002, pp. 177-181). Material culture and mass consumption are two concepts that have a deep correlation and relationship with each other, which has come under various studies and theories by historians, socialist and anthropologist. It has come to notice that for the last few decades, anthropologists have taken keen interest in the study of the correlation of the material objects to the human beings and the importance to the procedures that comes under involvement to the formation of the culture. Besides, it has come to notice that social theory in the recent times has contributed to the aspect of archeology to great extent. Daniel Miller, one of the renowned and familiar anthropologists, comes under identification and recognition for his comprehensively innovative work on the material culture and mass consumption. This is due to the reason that he has made numerous studies on the relationship to the physical objects and the consequences of consumption. Indeed, Daniel Miller has made arguments and discussions over the perception that anthropologists have ignored and overlooked the concept of mass consumption to the detriment of the studies of material culture. While giving a quick glance on to the work of Miller, it can come to an understanding that his extensive research on the subject matter of material culture also takes account of the association of feelings and emotions of love to the acquisition and purchasing of consumer goods. In addition, his research also includes how the retention of the objects comes under relationship to the persons' problems of separation and loss and how one manages and administers such problems. Miller has explained through his arguments that an individual cannot run away and fight against the nature in case of death as an event; therefore, one utilizes his ability of power from the material object that was linked with the deceased person. This way the individual handles the process of dealing with the loss. Miller also contend that in the modern and current mass culture circumstances, diverse ways of consumption of objects and other aspects of mass culture harmonize with the metropolitan society and overall mobility, such traditional social categories as class, race, gender, and others. Furthermore, Miller also gives a deep thought to the Universalist perspective of the mass production of consumer goods of the contemporary times. According to these Universalists, the mass production of the consumer goods comes under vision as the approach, which persuades in shaping and outlining all the idea and image of the modern economy on an overall basis. Miller has also laid key emphasis on the role of material and physical objects in the development of the human structures, and considered the theory of Piaget on the relationship of material culture to that of mass consumption. Piaget demonstrated the fact that material object is essential in order to develop the wisdom of the social role that material object plays. However, according to Piaget the social aspect of the environment and the constitution of the human intelligence and brain have an undeviating association with each other. Furthermore, adding the evidence to his explanation, he explicates that considering the development of the child, it comes under establishment, and identification by the material objects the child is exposed to in his daily life of the childhood period. Miller has quite a similar ideas and thoughts to that of Bourdieu, one of the famous social thinkers and theorists and a French anthropologist while analyzing the material culture. Bourdieu considered materiality as one of the imperative elements in the process of mass production and imitation of the social environment. According to the perceptions of Bourdieu, although physical objects play a leading and dominant function in adaptation and alteration of the humans' insight and awareness towards the social aspect, yet, it does not entirely determines it (Lane, 2000, pp. 43-46). Miller did not agreed with others on the factor of mass consumption that industrial revolution and the novel and unique theories of mass consumption created more complicated and multifaceted relationships from the conventional relationship. This is due to the reason that from the Miller's viewpoint, the industrial revolution was not the stimulating component of mass consumption; instead, it was a two-way process, which urged mass consumption (Woodward, 2007, pp. 25-30). From various researches on the subject of mass consumption, it has come to observation that Miller believed that the study of material culture should have the corner stone of the ideas of objectification in the recent and modern times, which means that subject and object have a rational relationship with each other. Additionally, the social formation through the material culture comes under reflection as above and superior as well in comparison to the mass consumption, as criticized by Miller (Miller, 2011). Miller has also provided evidences to his declaration social differences and material objects are conducive to the mass consumption. Miller illuminates that the experience (in form of taste) of the public plays the key and persuasive component that governs and regulates the mass consumption. Taste of all individuals vary, however, the social group having the same set of values and believes or the material culture would tend to have same taste of consumer goods. This means that taste symbolize and epitomize in the social group to which an individual belongs. In addition, taste development also depends upon few other factors such as education and the overall social surroundings and upbringings of the person (Miller, 2011). Miller has also enlightens another aspect with relation to mass consumption and material culture that division or the classification that comes under association with the material culture since the existence of culture. This segregation indicates the social class divisions that represent the traditional class formations within the society. To put it in simple words, the social class within the society leaves a deep impact on to the types of consumer goods purchased by a particular social class. This means that material culture and mass consumptions comes under profound impact of the social class divisions (Woodward, 2007, pp. 25-30). Theories of mass communication and material culture also demonstrate the alliance connecting style and artifacts. According to the standpoint of Miller, style is the principle and pivotal cause or the foundation stone on which the internal relationship between the objects of the same kind lies. Besides, the individuals would have a modest difference in the details of the same kind of objects but would maintain the similarity in the fundamental characteristics. These little differences would materialize and imitate the mass consumption and material culture (Woodward, 2007, pp. 25-30). Miller has conducted numerous studies and investigations, out of which Theory of Shopping is one of the fine works that define his work on how material objects have an influential connection with the material culture, which can lead to the understanding about the emotions that works within the family culture. Moreover, his other works and analyses incorporates female domestic labor, being a mother, women and their relationship to their children left behind somewhere else and many others are few of the notable work presented by Miller (Miller, 2011). In conclusion, it can come under well articulation that material culture focus and accentuate on the physical objects, material accomplishments, attainment of objective wealth, exhibition of substantial prosperity, productivity in arts and crafts and well-constructed structures. After analyzing the various studies, theories and perspectives of several anthropologists, it can come to well conclusion that material objects of the culture plays a significant and substantial role on the mass consumption, and the industrial revolution does not leave a grave impact on to the mass consumption, although it is also an imperative determinant. References Clark, H. and Brody, D. 2009. Design Studies: A Reader. Berg. Lane, J. F. 2000. Pierre Bourdieu: A Critical Introduction. Pluto Press. Miller, D. 2011. "Material culture and mass consumption." Summaries of my Readings. Retrieved on April 20, 2012: http://somereading.blogspot.com/2011/12/daniel-miller-material-culture-and-mass.html Princen, T., Maniates, M. and Conca, K. 2002. Confronting Consumption. MIT Press. Woodward, I. 2007. Understanding material culture. Sage Publications. Read More