It is the world of
things that people
make and things that
we purchase or
possess, so it is part of
our consumer culture.
The objects provide
info about what we are
like and how we live
now
Fairchild points out that
culture is based on
communication and argues
that artifacts embody and
concretize various cultural
values and achievements.
Cultural values & beliefs take form
in objects & artifacts.
Nuessel offers us an insight into
where the term "culture" comes
from and into the way it has been
understood by social scientists.
The Blue Carbuncle as a Model for
the Study of Material Culture
Reading people by
their appearance and
body language.
ex: Sherlock Holmes is known for reading people
He can tell a lot about the
person because of the
appearance of the hat.
Watson is a typical person
Holmes is the
scientific student
The objects tell you about
the culture, and the culture
tells you about the objects.
On the Nature of Theory
Theories & Concepts related
to them help us understand
various areas of life.
A theory is a way of seeing,
an optic, that focuses on a
specific subject matter.
Durham & Kellner point out
that all theories are partial,
so you always have to
recognize their limitations.
Multiplying theories &
methods at one's
disposal helps to
grasps the diverse
dimensions of an
object...provide richer
& more
comprehensive
understanding of
cultural artifacts &
practices under
scrutiny.
Theories are like goggles
that help determine the
way we see the world.
Nietzsche & Perspectivism
German philosopher who adopts perspectivist approach that involves recognizing
the importance of different theories & methodologies to understand.
Look at everything from
multiple perspectives.
We all have a "a kind of lust to rule."
Rashomon Problem
Film that poses the question:
What do we do when theorists from
different disciplines disagree about how to
interpret it?