Topic > The concept of material culture and its dimensions

Material culture implies the physical aspect that represents culture in terms of architecture and objects that surround people. It includes aspects such as the creation, consumption, use and trade of objects, as well as the norms, rituals and behaviors created by these materials. It focuses primarily on the material evidence that contributes to culture, in the present and past. Material culture explains a relationship that exists between the people of a given society and the things they own or have access to. This includes; the manufacture, reserves, history and interpretations of objects (Tilley, 2012.P116-126). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThis, then, means that materiality is an element of culture that cannot be separated or overlooked. Furthermore, materiality integrates humanities and social science disciplines such as archaeology, art history, historical preservation, and literary criticism. Basically, everything from architectural features and buildings to jewelry, toothbrushes, and books are best thought of as material culture. Materiality has excellently tried to explain the evolution of different cultures and how people have evolved from the traditional way of doing things to the current way of doing things. This, in my opinion, is why materiality cannot be separated from culture as it constitutes a fundamental aspect. Materiality according to research is the origin of culture as it evaluates how our ancestors did their things and how the current generation does things. and perceives things. Researchers in various fields of anthropology have perceived that objects have different meanings according to different cultures. The fundamental reason for evaluating and valuing the material is based on monetary and sentimental value. This means that the aspect of materiality in culture has mainly been used in trade and business where people evaluate the value of a commodity by evaluating its value. According to Kahneman, it is impossible to separate culture from materiality since it is one of the fundamental elements of culture that has existed for many decades and is still in use to determine the culture of different people. Materiality evaluates and explores the cultural dimension in terms of global connectivity, globalization and focuses on the mobility of material culture (Cooper, 2013. P1002). Furthermore, materiality in culture tends to evaluate how the meaning of styles, objects, and aesthetics has changed over time. For example, in the past, people of different cultures used different types of toothbrush such as salt and sticks obtained from particular trees, but in today's society this has been replaced by a form of plastic toothbrush which is more reliable and effective. . This is an indication of how the materiality aspect of culture has allowed researchers to determine how changes have taken place in recent years. Furthermore, “materiality also seeks to address global questions about how these collections help raise, such as the role they play within contemporary debates about citizenship and belonging. For example, people are interested in the role that these material objects can play for groups feeling a sense of belonging within multiple societies” (Stocking, 2013, P120-122). Museums also play a key role in materiality as they provide clear evidence of how different societies have embraced different cultures. Materiality has also played a key role in shaping the human experience. Materiality as a cultural element has also facilitated communication betweenpeople as well as other forms of communication such as gestures, speech and touch. Cultural materials such as artifacts contain memories and experiences over time that can be shared across generations. Material culture also shows how culture has evolved in different societies. Language has also developed over time from simple objects to more advanced objects. Giving and appreciation have also been identified as an aspect of cultural materiality as it is a universal phenomenon that portrays emotional meaning. Culture itself has been considered as symbols, beliefs, artefacts and values ​​that define a group of people. These elements are all represented in materiality and therefore this makes it impossible to separate materiality as an element of culture. Material culture also helps to understand the way of life of people in society as it provides evidence of how they have evolved in terms of equipment. they used, the tools and the way of life. For example, artifacts and archaeological evidence found by researchers indicate that early humans used coins as a medium of exchange. The situation, however, has improved where man has adapted a new mode of exchange such as money and the use of paper currency. Material culture repositories and museums are by nature “active contributors and participants to the heritage industry” (Gould, 2014P.889-989). This means that the heritage industry depends heavily on objects and material culture to interpret cultural heritage more. There is therefore a need to conserve material culture as it motivates people to visit historical sites, museums and other collections in order to interact with physical objects and ideas that belong to the past. Furthermore, “social relations are embodied in materiality”. A material cannot be valid if there is no meaning associated with it. In general, goods, gifts and money play a key role in producing cultural meanings and reflecting on social relations in different ways. The art of gift giving has been around for centuries and differs in meaning across different cultures. For some cultures, gifts are an expression of gratitude or appreciation, while for other cultures, gift-giving is seen as a form of cultural etiquette. Basically, the culture of giving has different meaning according to the understanding of different group of people. For example, people raised in Chinese and Western cultures perceive gifts as a curse or a blessing from someone. Furthermore, in some cultures, gift giving has been used as a way to create a good relationship between different communities that have been rivals or to connect people who may have had a misunderstanding over a period of time. Furthermore, gift culture was used to symbolize the peace in which people give their surplus. Giving gifts also symbolizes unity and love according to different cultures when a person gives a gift in terms of money, food or goods to those who have none. This is a symbol of sharing with those who are unable to provide for their basic needs and the poor. The art of giving has also been a way to clarify misunderstandings between different cultures when the presentation of gifts is seen as a way of seeking forgiveness. In some cultures, gifts are given on occasions such as weddings, Christmas, New Year and the birth of a child. to represent a meaning of togetherness and appreciation. Often, when a person travels to another country or to a place where he plans to stay for a certain period, he is expected to bring gifts upon return for those left behind. This means that giving gifts has been recognized by almost all cultures as important and a good way to appreciate 104-128).