Clifford

Clifford traces the history of “culture” and analyzes how different people become fixated on collections. The idea of culture changes constantly, and has different meanings throughout history. People collect various items and assign them different meanings and hierarchies as they go along. While structured collecting is usually seen in a good light, collections without rhyme or reason are seen as fetishes. These collections start at a young age, and often are linked to identity. There are many ways collections can be interpreted, and different objects can be classified as scientific or aesthetic. Four of the main zones that collectables can identify with are authentic masterpieces, authentic artifacts, inauthentic masterpieces, and inauthentic artifacts. There is a fine line between scientific artifacts and fine art, but artifacts can move through the zones because the art culture circuit is constantly changing. Assigning culture to a group of people is a means to understanding other ways of life, which becomes difficult when the cultures of the world intertwine. Boas was the first anthropologist to introduce the idea of cultural relativism, which introduced the idea that cultures are all equal, and not something just the West has.

This article was thought provoking while trying to grasp the made up notion of culture. I found the discussion about Levi-Strauss’s thoughts on New York City very interesting. The city was described as having many different cultures with holes to slip from one into the other. The fragmentation is a juxtaposition of the past and the present. Clifford also talks about how culture is a nationalistic idea and is heavily systematic. How is the idea of culture changing now that mass society is able to go global when it comes to technology and the internet?