Culture Is Bounded but Mobile

Theories of Cultural Change ANTH 2301 Paradox 2: Culture Is Bounded but Mobile Culture gets related with territory because many aspects are formed by the surrounding environment, commercial possibilities, and local histories of colonisation. However, culture seldom remains inside the confines of any one civilization due to the mobility of people, things, and ideas; instead, it restlessly roams along lines of travel, communication, conquest, and commerce. People are always on the go, and this is nothing new. Time Team is a famous British television series that follows archaeological digs around the United Kingdom that unearth ancient artefacts from far-flung locations including Rome, Scandinavia, and the Middle East. The crew discovered a town in Wales built by the Romans during their conquest in episode 4 of season 16 (2015). There, the foundations of Roman structures were discovered by archaeologists alongside a multitude of Roman artefacts, such as a gladiator-decorated knife handle, a third-century Roman coin, and a Roman instrument for extracting earwax. Artefacts from tourists and pilgrims to hallowed holy locations have been found during other Time Team investigations. Through migration, commerce, and conquest, these artefacts have permeated British cultures. Things, ideas, technology, and behaviours travel with people. Nonetheless, some integrated groups of objects, behaviours, and concepts do seem to congregate in particular areas. Examine the fabric in Figure 3.15. This type of fabric is distinctly African. It's known as wax print, and in many African regions, clothes with wax print are highly sought-after. Wax-print fabric is cotton fabric that is manufactured industrially and features elaborate patterns and vivid hues. Every market in the majority of African nations offers a wide range of wax print patterns and brands. People more frequently buy fabric in the market and take it to a seamstress or tailor to be turned into the garment of their choice rather than purchasing ready-made apparel at clothing stores. Many patterns made using wax prints have symbolic meanings and act as a form of nonverbal communication for the wearers. Certain fabrics are connected to sayings, events, landmarks, and well-known individuals. Many fabric patterns in Ghana, a country in West Africa, are called after the colourful proverbs of the sizable Akan ethnic group. A common design depicts a bird in flight, which is connected to the Akan saying Sika wo antaban, which translates to "money takes flight." What is known as Akyekyde, another complex motif? Wearing akaki, which means "the back of the tortoise," signifies wisdom and deliberate slowness in life. One pattern known as "sugarcane," with its long, corrugated stripes, is thought to signify "I love you like sugar." Wax print really originated in Indonesia, where it was inspired by native batik cloth-making processes, while being most famously linked with African clothing. Wax is used in batik to create designs on uncolored cotton fabric, which is subsequently submerged in a dye bath. The artwork is retained against the coloured backdrop once the wax melts. Following their colonisation of Indonesia in the 1700s, Dutch merchants were captivated by the exquisite beauty of the country's batik and attempted to replicate the rich colours and intricate designs of Indonesian fabric using their own techniques for mass-producing block prints. People in Dutch and British colonies in Africa, especially those on the west coast, began to see their own mass-produced wax prints in the 1880s. Africans quickly adopted Dutch wax cloth, giving particular designs societal connotations. Following gaining independence in the middle of the 20th century, several African nations established their own textile industry based on wax-print patterns created by indigenous artisans. Wax-print fabric, which embodies the dichotomy of location and movement in culture, is deeply ingrained in African tradition and has a convoluted history of international commerce, appropriation, and colonial dominance. The mobility of culture raises issues regarding who is entitled to claim or exploit aspects of culture that have spread from other places in the context of international power relations. Several cultural anthropologists take on the attire, cuisine, mannerisms, and language of the peoples they are studying while on the field as part of the participant observation and cultural immersion processes. To demonstrate their respect for the civilizations they have studied, anthropologists frequently take their passion for these cultural components back to their home communities and utilise and practise them there. That being said, some individuals might find it disconcerting to witness a white EuroAmerican anthropologist dressed in an African wax print dress, an intricately woven llliclla cloak from Peru, or an Indian silk sari. Have you ever bought jewellery or apparel worn by the locals while on your travels? Do people in your home society consider such clothing appropriate? Many individuals would consider it acceptable if someone used cultural artefacts to honour that culture. Most people would find it insulting if someone dressed in comical costumes that included elements of another culture, like a Halloween costume or sports mascot. When someone appropriates or appropriates cultural aspects of another civilization for financial gain, it becomes a far more severe issue. What would happen, for example, if an American fashion designer used a wax print motif like Sika wo antaban and replicated it for American apparel, home goods, or artwork? The intellectual property of a culture's members consists of both its material and immaterial components. Cultural appropriation is the term used to describe the unwarranted claim or use of aspects of another culture.