Distinguishing Description from Interpretation in Culture Studies
It takes only a moment to describe a bright red ribbon hanging across a door: thin, red, tied in a knot at the upper end, visible from the sidewalk outside. We are only starting to…
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How to do a cultural comparison without stereotyping
Two families celebrate a festival in different ways. The first cooks a big public dinner, while the second holds a smaller, private celebration. We might want to take either story as representative of a culture’s…
An Introductory Technique for Examining an Ordinary Artifact
A coffee cup on a desk might appear to be a poor subject for cultural investigation. However, its shape, imagery, substance, cost, origin, and daily function can indicate beliefs about relaxation, aesthetics, labor, self-image, and…
Why Symbols Mean Different Things in Different Places
What does a hand raised look like? It could be a greeting, a vote, an oath, a protest sign, or a salute. The physical gesture is largely the same, but the meaning depends on the…