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Introduction
to Cultural Anthropology
SOC401
VU
Lesson
43
CULTURAL
ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART
(continued)
Functionalist
Perspectives Concerning
Art
Manilowski
tended to emphasize how various cultural
elements function for the
psychological well-being of
the
individual. Radcliff-Brown stressed
how a cultural functional element of art
functions to contribute to
the
well-being or continuity of
society.
Psychological
Benefits of Art
For
the artist, artistic impressions
enable expression of emotional
energy in a concrete and visible
manner.
The
creative tension released via artistic
expression brings personal
gratification.
Works
of art evoke emotional responses
from their viewers, which
can be positive or negative,
but do help
relieve
stress.
Art
and Social Integration
Art
functions to sustain longevity of the
society in which it is found. Art is
connected to other parts of
the
social
system and used to evoke
positive feelings for its
rulers.
Even
in ancient Aztec and Egyptian
civilizations the ziggurats and pyramids
served to provide a
visual
reinforcement
of the awesome power of the
rulers.
Art
forms like music also help
reinforce social bonds and cultural
themes. Martial music, on the
other hand,
helps
rally people against a common
enemy. Story-telling also
passes on social values from
one generation
onto
the next, whereby helping social
integration.
Art
and Social Control
A
popular perception concerning artists is
that they are non-conformist, visionary
and aloof. Art
often
reinforces
existing socio-cultural systems. It also instills
important cultural values and
influences people to
behave
in socially appropriate ways.
Art
can buttress inequalities of existing
stratification systems. In highly
stratified societies, state
governments
use art for maintaining the status
quo and to solicit obedience
and respect.
Art
as a Status Symbol
Acquiring
art objects provides a convincing way to
display one's wealth and
power. Possessing art
objects
implies
high prestige due to its
uniqueness.
Art
in ancient Egypt was the
personal property of the pharos.
Art galleries often exhibit
personal collections
obtained
from high ranking members of
society.
Art
as a Form of Protest
Art
functions as a vehicle for protest,
resistance and even
revolution. Various artists
have attempted to raise
the
consciousness of their countrymen through
their poems, painting and
plays and helped instigate
socio-
political
changes.
Useful
Terms
Consciousness
the
feelings, sentiments and thoughts of a
person or of a given people
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Introduction
to Cultural Anthropology
SOC401
VU
Acquiring
obtaining
Status
quo the existing
system
Ziggurats
ancient places of worship in the South
American continent, renowned for their
architectural
design
Suggested
Readings
Students
are advised to read the
following chapters to develop a better understanding
of the various
principals
highlighted in this hand-out:
Chapter
15 in `Cultural
Anthropology: An Applied Perspective' by
Ferrarro and Chapter 26 in
`Anthropology' by Ember
Internet
Resources
In
addition to reading from the
textbook, please visit the
following web-site for this
lecture, which
provide
useful
and interesting information:
Art
and Anthropology:
www.anthroarcheart.org
or
www.artandanthropology.com
or
www.augie.edu/dept/art
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