Research Paper on "Material Culture and Commodity"

Research Paper 5 pages (1502 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

college pub as a place where there is a culture of consumption of computer services. Like any other part of material culture, the culture of consumption is just as much a part of technology as it is any other part of material culture. The technology of alcohol goes back into human memory to a time prior to written language. In this essay, we will examine alcohol as a technology of consumption in the broader context of human culture.

Analysis of a Pub Atmosphere and Layout

The items of material culture that one finds within a Pub are certainly a critical component of the place's atmosphere. Additionally, they have the ability to provide for the needs of the pub customers and can serve as important visual cues for the activities that happen within the pub. The external appearance of a pub is a key aspect of a pub experience. It is, after all, the general appearance of the outside of a pub that convinces a customer to enter a for the first time or another time. In urban settings where the choice of drinking establishment is rather astounding. The pub layout and seating definitively have a great effect upon how a pub is experienced by its customers. Given a poorly laid out pub and unpleasant seating no one will bother coming to drink there. The organizational techniques may not seem obvious. However, organization of the pub is clearly a concern as there are dozens of glasses, bottles and types of beer. The results of this organization are on display to the general public. The pub texture (background) is something which is perceived on a more abstract level. This may comprise anything from wall paint to the graffiti carved into the tables. This also includes the taste of the liquor and even the sounds of the pub (Charest, 2011).

Alcohol is a technology and an indicator of material wealth in the material culture of consumption that we exist in. Like any technology, it can be abused and used for negative purposes that may or may not be positive for the person or persons interacting with the technology. This can be about the technology itself and the disturbances it brings about among people and this is also focused upon the characteristics of their families and neighborhoods as well. While it may not be just among the rich, it certainly affect people in the way of affluence. This then means that those "at risk" from this technology can come from a variety of backgrounds and the technology can be used for good or bad in people's lives and whether or not its use is pathological or not is relative (Luthar, 2003, 1581).

This therefore raises the issues of what the essence of the cultural object is. The study of material culture has long been seen as the study of lifeless objects.. However, it can also be about objects that much more interactive, whether or not it considers techniques and technology in and of themselves and not just their material effects or only the circumstances and social consequences of their application. In this way, the technology is seen as a system as much as a way of interaction on one level (Lemonnier, 1986, 147). Without being seen as a system, it can not be considered a legitimate part of a material culture since it can not stand on its own (ibid., 154).

Therefore, we can see drinking as an activity that is its own cultural system. The heritage of alcohol can either be positive or negative, although more often than not it seems to be negative. This is general across the history of alcohol in humanity for thousands of years. For instance, there the Sumerians brewed beer at least 5000 years ago, the founding religions of much of the Western Mediterranean world that worshiped gods that were dedicated to alcohol and in the Americas in such forms as pulque, the fermented alcoholic product of maguey juice in religious ceremonies and old age (Parker & Rebhun, 1995, 1). This culture of violence and alcohol has come together in the United States in a lethal mixture where commodity culture has existed from the earliest times of human material culture.

One of the most tragic aspects of this culture is drinking and driving, a catastrophic combination of two different technological systems with catastrophic results for the participants. Within a body as diverse as the European Union, it is necessary to take into account th cultures of different national cultures when crafting drinking and driving regulations because truly "one size does not fit all." Is it better to leave such legislation to local countries or to try to impose an EU wide solution? It is precisely this question the EU study is trying to fathom. The report acknowledges this when it comments: "The fact that drinking is regulated in accordance with the fundamental themes of a given culture may account for the increasing popularity of 'alcohology' among anthropologists and other social scientists concerned with discovering and explaining these themes. Equally, ethnographic material on drinking practices and their relation to significant cultural themes is of value to those whose interest in alcohol is primarily commercial or political (Social and cultural, 1998, 15).

" These variations have to be taken into consideration as legislation is considered for the EU's diverse population because the cultures are so because the drinking cultures are so at variance with each other.

What is the most interesting about the above information is that drinking in almost all cultures has a taboo against solitary drinking. While this may be done in silence and not mentioned, most of the time drinking is done in social settings and as a group activity. Even drunkenness in a solitary setting is more shunned than it is in a social setting (ibid., 15-17).

This brings us full circle back to our college pub. It gives a social way of regulating the alcohol consumption that is more encompassing than the private party where happy hours are not regulated and binge drinking can be much more prevalent. Also, the depressed solitary drinking can happen more in the party setting than it does in the social setting of the pub. This is not to say solitary drinking does not happen there, just that the social taboos associated with it make it less likely for such consumption to take place. Perception of discomfort was a an important factor in all of this. In a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

in 1993, authors Deborah a. Prentice and Dale T. Miller

pointed out that in the four studies that they reference on the subject, students believed that they were more uncomfortable with campus alcohol practices than the next average student (Prentice & Miller, 1993, 243).

In other words, most people have a perception of alcohol consumption that is highly subject to programming. While there may be a wider variance between private perceptions and social norms, this is a variation that can be highly regulated, motivated and channeled. This means that it can be channeled in the proper directions. For this reason, understanding these misperceptions are critical in any effort to responsibly regulate the behavior. Indeed, the journal's research indicated that the efforts of colleges and universities to raise the awareness of alcohol abuse on campus are meeting with success in changing individual students, but not large groups of them at a time (ibid., 255). For this reason, there is a dire need to understand the culture of alcohol as a material commodity culture and technology and pleasure is necessary to harness the social forces that otherwise would be channeled in the wrong direction. To deal with this, it might be necessary to get individual students to speak openly about their struggles… READ MORE

How to Reference "Material Culture and Commodity" Research Paper in a Bibliography

Related Research Papers:

Material Culture Commodities Are Good to Think Essay

culture - commodities are "good to think with"

The Proposition that commodities are "good to think with" was stated by Levi-Strauss in his theoretical models in an attempt crack the… read more

Essay 2 pages (887 words) Sources: 6 Topic: Anthropology / Culture

---

Craig Clunas Material Culture and Social Status in Ming China Research Paper

Craig Clunas and how he portrays material culture in his writings and how John Fairbanks expresses his views on Chinese culture

The question of portraying culture in writing is inherent… read more

Research Paper 10 pages (3438 words) Sources: 3 Style: MLA Topic: Art / Painting / Sculpture

---

Culture and Media Worlds Term Paper

Culture and Media Works

Sexual Objectification of Women in Media

Media today is one of the most common grounds used to communicate or get a message across. It has readily… read more

Term Paper 14 pages (4795 words) Sources: 10 Topic: Women / Feminism

---

Fashion and Identity Fashion, Culture, and Personal Essay

Fashion and Identity

Fashion, Culture, and Personal Identity

Culture is a complex phenomenon. Any gathering of human beings develops its own culture given enough time; this can be observed on… read more

Essay 6 pages (1903 words) Sources: 3 Style: Harvard Topic: Fashion / Designers / Beauty

---

European Culture and Colonialism in the Age Thesis

European Culture and Colonialism in the Age of Mercantilism

The modern day doctrines of capitalism and socialism are but the latest in a series of economic doctrines that have helped… read more

Thesis 5 pages (1621 words) Sources: 3 Style: APA Topic: Economics / Finance / Banking

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>