How is This Artifact the Product of a Particular Historical and Cultural Environment - Essay Example

How is this artefact the product of a particular historical and cultural environment? There is no doubt in the fact that culture can be manifested through different artefacts that are created by people who represent it. Nevertheless, it is a general tendency to examine the artefacts that are rare or unique as they are thought to reflect some of the peculiarities of the cultural environment. However, one would make no mistake pointing out that the artefacts that people encounter on a daily basis are also valuable as they show the aspect of culture that is generally accepted and supported by the population. This paper will analyze an artefact of the modern culture that may be found virtually anywhere: the blue jeans that people wear all over the word. In addition to that, in order to focus the analysis, the research will examine a pair of jeans that is in possession of the author. To begin with, it may be suitable to perform a preliminary analysis. Thus, one should point out that one of the main characteristic features of jeans is the peculiar kind of fabric that it is made of. The actual cloth that is used in production is called denim and is different from regular fabric in structure as feature an unusual combination of warp and weft (Chauncey 5). In addition to that there are metal rivets that are thought to reinforce the pockets so that they could carry more. Finally, there a special kind of thread that is used for the seams. The jeans that were the direct object of investigation are made by Gap. Keeping in mind that this company largely uses factories that are located on the island of Saipan, it would not be an exaggeration to point out that the pair of jeans in question was produced on that island (Bendix 5). It may be rather difficult to identity the time when this artefact was manufactured as there is no date indicated on the cloth. However, there may be a way to define the approximate time. Considering the fashion of the jeans, one might conclude that the pair in question was made in 2012. Speaking of the processes that were used in its production, one might speculate that they were made by hands of the hired workers. In order to gain a better understanding of the artefact one may also consider the reason why it was made. Leading aside different speculations about the possible cultural meaning and the shifting paradigm of clothes, one may point out that jeans have become the most popular casual clothes in the world (Cunningham 31). This means that people who come from different cultural backgrounds may be willing to buy a pair of jeans in order to wear it on a daily basis. That is why the reason of creation of the artefact might be defined in financial terms: to earn money from sales. In spite of the fact that there may be other reasons, it is important to keep in mind that jeans nowadays are quite popular and make good sales. The function of a pair of jeans as an artefact that represents a particular culture might be traced in the following: they stand for modernity in the perception of the world, rejecting of the old formal approach towards how a person should dress and show that a person is independent and self reliable (Thesander 194). In other words, one might suggest that jeans serve a function of expressing some aspects of lifestyle of a person. Indeed, one can hardly image that an individual who advocates traditional business values like dressing up smart or complying with a formal dress code would wear jeans to a meeting. However, it must be noted that a pair of jeans may be regarded as a symbol of protest in some conservative societies, but the very artefact in question is observed in a rather liberal environment so it does not serve this particular function. If one considers the processes and events that the pair of jeans that is being analyzed has been through before it got to the author, one might note the following. First of all, it is clear that when a pair of jeans was completed, it was grouped together with other pair of different sizes and put in a plastic bag. Afterwards, a considerable number of such plastic bags were put in a container that was later carried by the ship to a port on the West coast of the United States of America. Afterwards some parts of the container where taken to be distributed locally and other parts were sent to the other coast so that the jeans could be ship to Europe (Kotabe 31). It would not be an exaggeration to point out that the two people who were involved in a rather intimate relationship with the artefact were the one who created it and the one who is wearing it. As for the former, one might note that person who made it did not pay particular attention to this pair. Indeed, over the course of a working day, the hired worker in Saipan must have made dozens of pair of jeans (Schmitt 45). Nevertheless, it is the worker who held the jeans in his or her hands and was making every stitch and rivet. In addition to that, the author is the person who has been wearing the jeans for some time and has special events that are associated with this particular pair. The analysis might also benefit from an examination of the historical as well as political context that this particular artefact in involved. To begin with, one should note that a pair of jeans used to be a rather explicit statement of freedom. For example, it might be used as an icon of emancipation since it shows that women are free from the yoke of wearing a dress (Miller and Woodward 44). As for the political context, since jeans were invented in the United States of America that are largely considered to be an iconic American piece of clothes. Now, it may be rather suitable to conduct a deeper research of the artefact in order to identify some of the peculiar aspects of it. Thus, one may be surprised to learn that the location where the pair of jeans was created is thought be involved in different scandals concerning the conditions of work. That is why some people might say that the products of Gap are somewhat unethical as they use the labour of people who earn money under conditions that are far worse than average (Beer 85). In other words, there is an important ethical aspect to this particular artefact as it might be seen as a symbol of exploitation of the people from less developed countries. In addition to that, one should also note that jeans might also be considered to be an icon of globalization. Indeed, this invention of a particular nation spread across the globe and now can be found virtually in any country. This means that jeans reflect a certain unified standard of clothes that has been accepted by the people who belong to the modern culture. That is the reason why jeans are largely rejected by the conservative societies as they represent the contemporary culture. What is more important is that they also stand for American lifestyle, so to speak, which it reflected in the fact that a person gives preference to casual wear rather than a formal one. Finally, there is one more aspect that is essential in the discussion about the artefact in question: other than being an equaliser in terms of culture, jeans also serve a function of being an equaliser in terms of social status. Indeed, unlike tuxedos that are primarily worn by the people who come from upper socioeconomic classes on special occasions, jeans are worn by people with a moderate income and those who are millionaires. A good example might be found in the life of Steve Jobs. He was a person who headed one of the most prosperous corporations in the world and undoubtedly had a considerable amount of money in his disposal. However, he was most usually seen wearing jeans to symbolize the fact that he had not lost his connection to the people who come from other classes of society. With this he tried to put emphasis on the fact that he is similar to the people who buy his products. Having examined all the evidence which was brought up in the paragraphs above, one might note the following: the artefact in question, namely a pair of jeans, is an important representative of the modern culture. Indeed, this article of clothes is popular all over the world and stands for freedom and desire to adopt a contemporary life style. The particular pair of jeans which was analyzed is manufactured by Gap, a company which has had problems with production sites overseas which casted a certain shadow on its production. Nevertheless, the jeans serve a peculiar function of being an equaliser that unites people in terms of culture and socioeconomic status that they possess. Works Cited Beer, Lawrence A. A Strategic and Tactical Approach to Global Business Ethics. New York: Business Expert, 2010. Print. Bendix, Sonia. The Basics of Labour Relations. Cape Town: Juta, 2000. Print. Chauncey, Barb. Quick-sew Denim: With No-sew Options. Iola, Wis.: Krause, 2003. Print. Cunningham, Patricia A. Dress and Popular Culture. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State U Popular, 1991. Print. Kotabe, Masaaki. The SAGE Handbook of International Marketing. Los Angeles, Calif: SAGE, 2009. Print. Miller, Daniel, and Sophie Woodward. Blue Jeans: The Art of the Ordinary. Oakland, Calif: U of California, 2012. Print. Schmitt, Rebecca M. Business as Usual? the Mobilization of the Anti-sweatshop Movement and the Social Construction of Corporate Identity. New York: Psychology, 2007. Print. Thesander, Marianne. The Feminine Ideal. London: Reaktion, 1997. Print. Read More