Relation to Readings

User Generated

nnndjr

Writing

Description

Relation to Readings

  • How does any of your research relate to the readings from throughout the semester?

reading and research will in the following files:

Unformatted Attachment Preview

Dress, Culture, Society Week 3 Main Points • • • • The definition of culture and society The concept of dress to culture/society Ethnocentrism and Eurocentrism Globalization of dress and culture Culture & Society • Culture and Society are two concepts needed in order to comprehend the meaning of dress in a place and time in order to analyze dress as a system of nonverbal communication What is Culture? • The human-made (material) items and patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior (non-material) shared by members of a group who regularly interact with one another. • Relates to the way humans behave, feel and think from the time they’re born Enculturation • Learning cultural ways taught to members of group in which raised Acculturation • Process of learning a new culture Culture is: • What people have • What people do • What people think Culture Includes: • Material and non material culture—the two interrelate • Material culture= tools, furniture, dress (computers & technology, building and architecture) i.e. tangibles • Non-material culture= ideas, beliefs, values, religious beliefs, ideas, standards; expectations that are shared as the people of a society, symbolic meanings i.e. nontangibles • We make material things because of our non material culture—what we make comes from our ideas, beliefs, values. • Significance of material and non material things comes from being shared by a group of people “DRESS IS OFTEN ONE OF THE FIRST TYPES OF MATERIAL CULTURE TO DOCUMENT CHANGE IN ANY “DRESS IS A VISUAL EXPRESSION OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING, CHANGES IN DRESS POINT TO TRANSFORMATIONS IN NON-MATERIAL CULTURE.” Microcultures • AKA subcultures or cultures composed of smaller groups • Those who belong to one group within a society & don’t necessarily agree with those in other groups about non-material culture—like values, or meanings What is Society? • A group of individuals who interact with one another based on sharing of beliefs and ways of behavior. • People who live together and share ideas about structural patterns, the system of organizing families, political, economic and religious structures Socialization • To learn about one’s society Globalization • Process that integrates separate societies and cultural groups of the world into unified, socially interacting structure • Trade, travel, and technology are all drivers of globalization Cultural Flow • Second to globalization—makes national boundaries permeable and supports social networks that circle the globe Sociocultural Systems • Everyday life norms very different from one another • 3 systems include: – Tribal – Imperial – Commercial • Tribal=small groups of people, related to another by blood. Organized around domestic household and extended network. • Imperial=societies with a central government organizing up to hundreds of thousands of members with clear hierarchy of political power, decision making for social organization, and use of resources. • Commercial= type of society people live in today in most of the world with commerce as the main activity of organization Baiga women from the Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh of India TRIBAL • Understanding Sociocultural systems also helps broaden understanding in comparison among societies in present day. • EX: Ga’anda and Kalabari (both Nigerian ethnic groups) • Even tho Ga’anda and Kalabari are members of same Nigerian commercial national society, they dress very differently and reflect different cultural systems by their separate histories • Ga’anda: Tribal sociocultural system • Kalabari: Imperieal sociocultural system • Kalabari Imperial past indicate their distinctive manner of dress---which distinguishes them from other Nigerian ethnic groups. Their dress includes textile from around the world—which is evidence to their dvlpt of a global society. Ga’anda women holding traditional instruments for song and dance Kalabari women in traditional attire • Modern India=commerce based culture; but more of a blend of many differenct sociocultrural characteristics—depending on region. • Class relations define social interactions • Social interactions organized according to former concept of caste ranking of individuals (imperial sociocultural systems) and that status is often reflected in dress—rural. • Hinduism=India’s main religion, which includes many gods. Those devoted to different gods show that through their dress (forehead design or how sari is wrapped) Ganges River (mother Ganga) is an important force of Hinduism and its importance is still expressed in dress by things such as the Ganga-Jamuna sari—two different colored borders indicating the place where Jamuna River flows into the Ganges Ganga Jamuna sari Classic Examples: • Rome=Imperial • US & Japan=Commercial 4 Sociological Concepts • Social status=defines individual’s position in society and within various social groups • Ascribed status= “a given” like age, gender, ethnicity, class, caste • Achieved status=position gained through accomplishment. Range depends on system—can change throughout the course of life—this status can be determined by status’—like our birth circumstances, economic situations, health care/edu access, etc. • Social role=behavior that accompanies social status. Status’ and roles can change for people over time. – We carve our own place in the social structure---through marriage, occupation choices, money, politics, religion…all those decisions. Ethnocentrism/Ethnocentric • Misunderstanding or misinterpretation— i.e. the expression in actions or judgments of a particular cultural viewpoint as superior to another. • We focus on what is important in our culture and ignore important aspects of other cultures, believing our own practices to be better than others’. Eurocentrism/Eurocentric: • Having a European heritage with a belief that European ways of behaving are superior • Afrocentric: coming from an African country or with African-American heritage and favoring own way of viewing the world over other ways. • Tradition=cultural heritage, and practices that come from the past • Ethnicity=idea of tradition because ethnicity refers to heritage of a group of people with common cultural backgrounds • Ethnic group=merged cultural or microcultures within one nation formed in the place they migrated • Ethic dress=way group members dress to ID as any ethnic group • Members of various cultures have increasing contact with one another— especially now in our modern world of easy travel and convenient communication • The blurring of cultural boundaries has occurred over most human history---with constructive and deconstructive results • Similar ways of behaving has become the norm around the world—especially with social media and internet shopping • World dress=similar body modifications and supplements worn by people in various parts of the world no matter where the types of dress or the people themselves originated. • EX: European men’s shirts, introduced elsewhere as result of European colonization from 17-19th centuries. • OR garments from non-Western areas—like Japanese kimonos influenced Western robes (NOW especially!) or flip flops=Japanese origin; Cowboy boots=Argentinian origin • World Fashion=specific style of dress that is worn in the exact same style in many parts of the world at the same time. i.e. designer jeans Cultural Authentication • The process by which members of a cultural group incorporate foreign cultural items and make them their own (more in chpt 9) Dress Related to Culture & Society • Humans don’t exist in isolation, therefore we are influenced by culture in the way we dress and behave • Certain limitations always exist for appropriateness—even in the US where we are individually free. • Appropriateness varies depending on different societies and cultures—i.e. French and Saudi Arabian women…French women are more exposed • Dress is an example of material culture, but dress also communicates non-material culture. • How we are dressed may relate to our beliefs about standards of dress –like wearing white for funerals in Japan, but black in North America. OR a bride’s covered shoulders in a church wedding for stricter or more formal religions. Dress and Cultural Meanings/ Appropriateness • Definitions of appropriate dress differs from one culture to another • EX: Coverage of the body with supplements can range from a finger ring (min) to an encompassing robe (max) • Depending on the society, people may be appropriately dressed even if they are mostly bare and exposed, whereas other cultures/ societies may be appropriately dressed by being fully covered –like Middle Eastern women. • Meanings are communicated from forms of dress---things such as metal rings, hairstyles or necklaces may indicate marital status—depending on the culture. • CULTURAL CONVENTION HAS NO LIMITS. • We continue to use dress to define ourselves and to announce our affiliations as we fulfill our many roles in life. • We use dress to communicate to other which role we are emphasizing at any given time during the day or through the years. Assignment: • Read through PowerPoint and Chapter 2— Dress, Culture & Society in The Visible Self • Take notes • Start a thread on the discussion board • Comment on at least one other classmate’s thread • DUE by Sunday, 2/17 at 11:59 pm (EST) Body, Dress, Environment Week 8 Chapter 6: The Visible Self Main Points • • • • Habituation, acclimation, acclimatization Dress as cultural adaptation How dress extends abilities of human body Dress & Body and Environment • Humans are adaptable • Adapt to different environmental conditions that affect body comfort/ functioning • Adaptations either short or long term • Short=cultural devices like clothing, shelter, transportation • Long=result of natural selection • Physiological adaptation=short-term and long term changes in individual humans bodies and within human gene pools in response to the physical environment • A close relationship exists between cultural designs of dress, shelter, transportation, and environment… Like: • Dressing for your job • Do you work outside or in an office? Where do you live—is it warm all the time or are their definite seasons? Do you commute in a car? Or on a bike, subway? • How is your dress affected by these things? Body Forms • People of Australian Aborigines and Tuareg of the Sahara live in dry heat and have longer limbed, lean bodies to release more heat more efficiently • Alaska natives of Yupik or Inuit heritage have shorter extremities and more compact bodies to retain heat more efficiently Habituation: • Small immediate physiological adjustments the body makes to minor changes in temperature or oxygen content in the air Like… • We sweat as a result to hot temperatures and as a way for our bodies to keep us cool • Also shivering and expansion/contraction of blood vessels so varying amounts of heat are given off with changes in temperature and humidity – Known as human internal thermoregulators And… • Shivering is immediate response to cold • Muscles contract to produce more heat and we end up with “goose bumps” which is a reflex of our bodies – the hair on our bodies stands up to increase insulative value Female/Male Differences • Women have more fat than men and also more sweat glands per unit are of the skin • Women also have a wider comfort range in temperature – (meaning women can tolerate a different range of temperatures easier than men) • This difference in the sexes gives women the ability to wear fewer protective body enclosures than men under similar environmental conditions without feeling uncomfortable • Acclimation=slightly longer term adjustments occurring over one or a few days • EX: – adjusting to time zones/jet lag – altitudes • Acclimatization=long-term physiological adaptation can take months or years • Sometimes passes from mother to child in womb—can be genetic adaptation over generations living in region over time • Cold—high metabolic rates release more energy in form of heat but require more nutrients to maintain higher rate • Inuit peoples live in cold Arctic and maintain higher metabolic rates than those in warmer climates – Inuit have highest animal protein and fat diet of any living population • Alternate between vasoconstriction=narrowing of blood vessels (reduce heat loss) and vasodilatation=expansion of blood vessels (increase heat retention) • High altitude—living above 10k feet causes many stresses like hypoxia (result of available oxygen in atmosphere) • Sherpa enable bodies to operate successfully with reduced oxygen levels— greater lung capacity, larger heart muscles and therefore larger chests • Habituation and acclimatizations are most important adaptatations to environmental conditions Physical adaptation and dress • Range of body behaviors-like sweating or shivering —place different demands on body supplements – Heat and moisture sometimes require different forms of protective dress for survival, or more often different forms of dress for maintenance of comfort – IE fur parkas worn by Inuit • Adjust to temperature through layers of clothing, cloth type, thickness and weave structure, and type of fibers favored – wool can keep body warmer than cotton; wool has scaley structure that maintains insulation; cotton has moisture absorption qualities and keeps body cooler • Consistent acclimatization to a specific environment can alter populations protective dress needs • EX: When we travel to another part of the world that is colder or hotter than what we’re used to, we notice we either need more or less protective clothing than those from the area we’ve traveled to— they are better acclimatized Cultural adaptation of the body environment • Cultural adaptations=protect the body and include dress and shelter • Humans are less covered than other animals—but we can cover or uncover ourselves at will • Humans use dress as tool to acclimatize and thrive in almost any environment • Survival—these adaptations through our dress make survival obtainable because though humans are animals we are not animals that can survive conditions with no help (protect us against environments) • We create our own safeguards against various stresses and threats in the physical environment • Dress can function as an extension of the body that may simultaneously be a portable environment – Camouflage dress—designed for specific settings to ensure survival by blending into environment (soldiers, hunters) – Eyeglasses—so eyesight is clear – Corset/brace—provide support for injured back • Humans also have capacity to create detrimental environmental conditions— such as war or working environments that expose us to harmful chemicals, noise, radiation, etc. • This causes us to adapt our choices of dress for protection—EX: bulletproof vest • Or agricultural workers wearing different garments to shield from pesticides and other chemicals • Sometimes dress meant to hinder movement— – Strait jackets – Handcuffs – Leg and neck irons – Braces – Corsets—in the 19th/20th centuries, and as a result was dress reform • Body supplements (clothing mostly) serve as a mini environment and also interact with the body to contribute to comfort and health which in general depends on maintenance of body temperature • Clothing can prevent loss of body heat/ moister, prevent excess heat, protect against bodily injury Marlon Brando in The Wild One Dress as extensions and modifications of body • Our body=basic equipment for securing comfort, satisfaction, survival • Hands=tools for gathering food • Thumbs=grasping ability • Teeth/fists=weapons for defense • Body supplements/modifications help extend effectiveness – handheld supplements—such as purses/ briefcases to help us carry more things • EX: “four winds” hat—to carry small objects like a carpenters apron Supplements that extend motor skills: • Foot and hand enclosures or attachments • Basic means of transport=feet with related motor skills • Footwear is an early cultural improvement for transportation Snow shoes • Northern American Indian moccasins— protection against cold and uneven terrain • Snowshoe=most outstanding example of adaptive footwear—could walk on snow without sinking in • Gloves=easiest way to extend body’s mechanical abilities • Gloves give protection against cold, or heat, abrasion, chemicals—which allows hands (tools) to function under various environmental conditions • Prosthetics are another extension to enhance or replace physical power/ mechanical skills • Artificial teeth=same (serving purpose) Body and climate: DRESS • Clothing serves several protective functions – Sahara Desert—protect against sun’s radiation/against blowing sand – Cowboy boots against rough terrain/ snakebites • Cold regions require protective aids Siple’s Clothing Zones: • To simplify clothing in relation to climate: • 1. Minimum Clothing Zone ( humid tropical and jungle type) • 2. Hot, Dry clothing Zone (desert type) • 3. One layer Clothing Zone (subtropical or optimum comfort type) • 4. Two layer Clothing Zone (temperate cool winter type) • 5. Three layer Clothing Zone (temperate cold winter type) • 6. Four layer Maximum clothing Zone (subarctic winter type) • 7. Activity balance Zone (arctic winter type) Dress as Total Environment • Diving suits=oldest example of dress as total environment • Someone facing hazardous environment and unsupportive of human life Space suit • Provide ways to sustain body functions while allowing body mobility • Have systems that remove heat, carbon dioxide, water vapor, urine and fecal matter, and for providing oxygen • Helmets allow for vision but keep out radiation • Suit itself includes flameproof woven fabrics and plastic films to protect from meteoroids and extreme heat/cold in outer space – Have systems that keep track of blood pressure, heart action, body temperature, and respiratory rate Biohazard suit • Design based on suit developed by NASA but used by people in hospitals or CDS (center for disease control) • Protects against biological agents, especially airborne viruses • Includes helmet, oxygen supply, fabric designed to prevent airborne pathogens from passing into the suit • System that creates negative air pressure Other examples of total environment: • • • • • Bee keepers Astronaut space suit Deep sea diving suits Fire fighter uniforms Football or hockey uniforms Assignment: • Read chapter 6 of The Visible Self • Take notes • Start a discussion thread and respond to a classmate’s post by • No later than Sunday, 3/24 at 11:59 pm Running head: CULTURAL INFORMATION AND TRADITIONS 1 Cultural Information and Traditions Cultural traditions are the various rituals, events or even custom that a certain society shares. Society means a group of people that have certain values and aspects that are common among all the members. Sweden society has the cultural traditions that unify people. First, there is education. Sweden society upholds both informal and formal education. Sweden society enhances the formal education through parental training (Steinmetz 2018). This is the process through which children learn the ways of their parents. On the other hand, there is formal education, where most people go to school to acquire knowledge and skills to enable them to live a better and more comfortable life. There are various events that Sweden society shares. First, there are the national holidays such as the Public Holidays. Every person in Sweden takes part in one way or another in the Swedish National Day celebrations. This unifies the people as Swedes. There are various songs that are also highly associated with Swedish Culture (Spring 2017). The national anthem is one of the songs that connect the people of the Sweden. The national anthem illustrates the culture of the people in regard to what they believe in. In addition, the song is played during specific events and unifies all the Swedes as one people. Various festivals signify the traditional culture of the Sweden people. For instance, most of the Swedes celebrate the Stockholm Folk Festival, where the Folk music is played throughout the season. Other festivals celebrated include the Midsummer festival, Stockholm Early Music Festival and Peace and Love Festival. Sweden also celebrates its visual arts and architecture. Swedish government has put in place a national museum used to preserve fine arts designed in a renaissance style. The cultural information and traditions are maintained by society or even by the government. CULTURAL INFORMATION AND TRADITIONS References Spring, J. (2017). The intersection of cultures: Multicultural education in the United States and the global economy. Routledge. Steinmetz, G. (Ed.). (2018). State/culture: State-formation after the cultural turn. Cornell University Press. 2 Running head: ECONOMIC SITUATION IN SWEDEN 1 Economic Situation in Sweden The Swedish economy has been growing recently compared to ten years ago. Its a country that has been insisting on improving its export basis while creating a market for its product globally. The economy has been developing on a basis of export-oriented where the government works to find markets outside since the local market barely sustains the economy. The country is known to export several products but majors in timber, hydropower, and iron ore. The foreign exchange has seen Sweden grow and achieve a high standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits (Ejdemo, & Söderholm, 2015). As outlined above, the country is known for exporting timber and its known as the world leading producer in forest products. The country has invested heavily in both road and rail transport to ensure there is a network for delivering the forest products for export. There are numerous sawmills and paper factories which process the forest products ready for export. There are other products that the country produces in small packages listed above including iron ore and hydropower. When one mentions Sweden, the economic aspect that people will have in mind is the forest products. It’s an economy that has grown to greater heights by exporting their forest products and dominating the global market. The technological advancement in Sweden relates to the processing of the forest products, which in most industries is automated (Kanda, 2015). They have invested heavily in processing machinery since they are aware of the workload involved. They also have the military armaments technology plants that are secretive and which need high levels of security. Their security detail in terms of technology is high since they believe in protecting what they produce. It the world`s 29th ranked largest export economy in the world. ECONOMIC SITUATION IN SWEDEN 2 References Ejdemo, T., & Söderholm, P. (2015). Wind power, regional development and benefit-sharing: The case of Northern Sweden. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 47, 476-485. Kanda, W., Mejiá-Dugand, S., & Hjelm, O. (2015). Governmental export promotion initiatives: awareness, participation, and perceived effectiveness among Swedish environmental technology firms. Journal of Cleaner Production, 98, 222-228. Running head: SWEDISH DRESS NORMS AND TRADITION Swedish Dress Norms and Tradition Jiantong Liu Art 233 Liu1 SWEDISH DRESS NORMS AND TRADITION Liu2 The Swedes are generally relaxed people, and this temperament extends to their dress code both in the office environment and outside the workplace. Men prefer to wear smart casual clothes like jeans and perhaps a dark conservative suit with a shirt and tie for special occasions such as business meetings. Women, on the other hand, can wear either skirt or trousers depending on the event or the weather conditions. In the early nineteenth century, traditional costumes in Sweden varied according to design, color and the different socio-economic classes that were present. Marta Palme and Queen Silvia introduced the folk dress in the primary colors of the Swedish flag, that is, blue and yellow. The national costume for women consisted of an apron that extended to the ground and a full-pleated skirt body. The neck scarves for both men and women and blouses were made from wool or silk and linen with elaborate embroidery patterns. Both men and women accentuated their looks using bags which were created using different designs and materials. The difference in fabrics in traditional Swedish wear was a reflection of ‘socio-economic status and geographical origins of (the) wearers’ ("What Is Traditional Swedish Clothing?", 2015) According to Ulrika Kyaga (2017), the early Swedish fashion and dress were influenced by the French industrialization, a ‘high fashion zone,' from which the garments to be won filtered down through definite institutional systems. The smart casual dress style of Sweden can be seen in many cultures around the contemporary business world and also in the social environment of prominent cities such as New York in America and Paris in France. In conclusion, the Swedish dress has changed from a definite blue-and-yellow costume to modern casual clothes tailored for different occasions and weather conditions. SWEDISH DRESS NORMS AND TRADITION Liu3 References Kyaga, U. (2017). Swedish Fashion 1930–1960: Rethinking the Swedish Textile and Clothing Industry (Doctoral dissertation, Department of Media Studies, Stockholm University). What Is Traditional Swedish Clothing? (2015, August 4). Retrieved from https://www.reference.com/beauty-fashion/traditional-swedish-clothingff9908d304d1ba9e
Purchase answer to see full attachment
User generated content is uploaded by users for the purposes of learning and should be used following Studypool's honor code & terms of service.

Explanation & Answer

Attached.

How does any of your research relate to the readings from throughout the semester?
Name
Institution
Professor
Course
Date

One of my research topics was on Swedish dress norms and tradition. This research is
strongly related to the readings from throughout the semester. Primarily, my research paper
on Swedish dress norms and tradition is related to the readings dress, culture, society and
body, dress, environment...


Anonymous
Awesome! Made my life easier.

Studypool
4.7
Trustpilot
4.5
Sitejabber
4.4

Related Tags