Material & Cultural Studies Core Concepts & Definitions

A comprehensive collection of flashcards covering core concepts, definitions, and key theorists in material and cultural studies.

Material Culture

Objects encountered, interacted with, and used by people, emphasizing the relationship between inanimate things and social functions.

Commodity Fetishism (Marx)

The way objects hide the social relations of their production under capitalism, making them appear to have inherent value.

Social Order (Douglas)

The compliance of individuals to a set of rules governing interactions, including use of objects.

Discursive Practices

Recognition that the meanings of objects can vary based on context and user perspectives.

Social Life of Objects

The concept that objects have changing meanings across time and social circumstances.

Objectification

The process in early anthropology where non-Western cultures were treated as objects of study.

Langue (Saussure)

The underlying system of rules governing language use; the structure shared by a community.

Parole (Saussure)

The actual speech acts or manifestations of language; individual utterances.

Signifier (Saussure)

The form that a sign takes; sound, image, or object itself.

Signified (Saussure)

The concept that the sign represents; the meaning or idea in our mind.

Sign (Saussure)

The combination of Signifier and Signified; the relationship between form and meaning.

Myth (Barthes)

A second-order semiological system that mythologizes objects, making cultural meanings appear natural.

Semiotics

The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation in cultural context.

Use Value (Baudrillard Stage 1)

Functional logic, referring to what an object does practically.

Exchange Value (Baudrillard Stage 2)

Market-based value used for comparison between objects.

Symbolic Exchange Value (Baudrillard Stage 3)

Meaning derived from relationships and cultural context; personal significance.

Sign Value (Baudrillard Stage 4)

Status and cultural prestige derived from an object's position in the system.

Structuralism

Methodology asserting that cultural practices follow foundational schemes that can be observed.

Bricoleur (Lévi-Strauss)

A creative assembler who recombines existing elements to create new meanings.

Bricolage (Hebdige)

The practice of putting together unlikely combinations to create new meanings.

Semiotic Guerrilla Warfare (Lévi-Strauss/Hebdige)

The subversive practice of inverting meanings of mainstream signs.

Homology (Hebdige)

The concept that a subcultural style reflects underlying values.

Incorporation (Hebdige)

The process by which mainstream culture absorbs and commodifies subcultural resistance styles.

Categorization (Douglas)

Classification systems that define proper places for things.

Purity and Danger (Douglas)

Douglas's theory that ideas of cleanliness and pollution shape how societies classify objects.

Boundary Transgression (Douglas)

When objects don't fit in established categories, which is seen as dangerous to social order.

Active Consumption (Miller)

Miller's view that consumption is creative and meaningful, not passive.

Commodification (Kopytoff)

The process of making an object exchangeable in the market.

Decommodification (Kopytoff)

The process of removing an object from market exchange.

Recommodification (Kopytoff)

When an object re-enters the market after being decommodified.

Singularization (Kopytoff)

The process of making an object unique and personal.

Cultural Biography of Things (Kopytoff)

The idea that objects have biographies that change with human interactions.

Diachronic Analysis (Kopytoff)

Examining interactions with objects over historical time.

Synchronic Analysis (Kopytoff)

Examining meanings of objects at one time across different contexts.

Body Techniques (Mauss)

Learned ways humans know how to use their bodies across societies.

Habitus (Mauss/Bourdieu)

Deeply ingrained habits and dispositions shaped by social context.

Social Facts (Mauss)

Patterns of behavior that are external to individuals but shape their actions.

Reflexive Body Techniques / RBT (Crossley)

Intentional actions performed on one's body with psychological effects.

Body Maintenance Techniques (Crossley)

Techniques that preserve health status or aspects of oneself.

Body Modification Techniques (Crossley)

Techniques that transform the body and mark identity transitions.

Alienation (in RBT context)

Experiencing oneself as separate from one's true self.

Body as Project (Crossley)

The idea that identity is deeply connected to the body.

Embodied Knowledge

Knowledge that resides in the body through practice.

Actor-Network Theory / ANT

Theory arguing that agency and action are not limited to humans.

Actant (ANT)

Any material entity in a network that can act or influence outcomes.

Symmetry (ANT)

The principle that humans and non-humans are treated equally in analysis.

Heterogeneous Networks (ANT)

Networks of diverse materials where agency generates from interactions.

Affordances (ANT)

What actions objects enable; they shape what's possible.

Distributed Agency (ANT)

The concept that agency emerges from the network of actants.

Quasi-Object

Objects that create social relations through their circulation.

Digital Ownership

Complex concept of owning digital goods, often seeing licensing instead of true ownership.

Smart Contracts

Blockchain agreements that execute automatically without intermediaries.

Virtual Reality (VR)

Computer-generated environments that replace physical reality.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Seeing the physical world with digital elements overlaid.

Metaverse

Persistent virtual worlds blending VR, AR, and internet, forming social spaces.

Digital Inheritance

Issues surrounding digital possessions after death.

Link Rot

When URLs stop working over time, affecting access to digital content.

Format Migration

Updating digital files as formats become obsolete.

A.H. Lane Fox Pitt Rivers

Collector whose work demonstrated ideas of cultural evolution.

Franz Boas

Early anthropologist who emphasized contextual understanding of cultures.

Karl Marx

Philosopher focusing on commodity fetishism and alienation under capitalism.

Georg Simmel

Sociologist who analyzed how objects mediate modern experiences.

Belk & Wallendorf

Researchers exploring psychological aspects of meaning-making through consumption.

Ferdinand de Saussure

Linguist noted for his contributions to structuralism and semiotics.

Claude Lévi-Strauss

Structural anthropologist emphasizing cultural significance of material objects.

Roland Barthes

Semiotician analyzing how objects embody myths reflecting ideology.

Jean Baudrillard

Philosopher focusing on consumption theories and the dominance of sign value.

Dick Hebdige

Cultural studies scholar analyzing style as resistance among youth subcultures.

Mary Douglas

Anthropologist known for her theories regarding classification and social order.

Daniel Miller

Anthropologist emphasizing meaningful interactions with material culture.

Igor Kopytoff

Anthropologist focusing on cultural biography of objects and their changing meanings.

Marcel Mauss

Anthropologist known for studying body techniques across cultures.

Nick Crossley

Sociologist exploring reflexive techniques and their effects on identity.

Bruno Latour

Philosopher/sociologist significant for Actor-Network Theory.

Paul Hirsch

Theorist on cultural industries facing market uncertainties.

Michel Foucault (in material culture context)

Philosopher who analyzed objects' roles in social control and power dynamics.

Pierre Bourdieu (in material culture context)

Sociologist linking aesthetic preferences to social inequality.

Safety Pin Example (Lévi-Strauss/Hebdige)

Punk culture re-signifies mundane objects to create anti-fashion statements.

Starbucks Lid Example (Douglas)

Demonstrates how context changes meaning and categorization.

Citroën Example (Barthes)

Shows how objects symbolize modernity and naturalize cultural myths.

Corset Example (Kopytoff)

Illustrates diachronic and synchronic changes in object meanings.

Helen's Chair vs. Christina's Warthog

Demonstrates how objects reflect differing aesthetic identities.

Sarah's Bible (Case Study)

Represents complex identity shaped by personal narratives.

Instagram Influencer Network (ANT)

Illustrates distributed agency among human and non-human actants.

FaceTime Example (ANT)

Shows the importance of objects in mediating human interactions.

Structuralism vs. Anthropology

Structuralism focuses on fixed systems, while anthropology emphasizes social practices.

Red Roses Example (Barthes)

Cultural symbol of romance learned through societal context.

Pets as Social Life of Objects

Illustrates the decommodification of objects transitioning to family members.

Art Pieces as Social Life of Objects

Shows transformation of meaning based on ownership and context.

Sambas Sneaker Example

Highlights fluidity of meaning as objects evolve in cultural significance.

Foucault's Panopticon

Shows how objects embody social control and power dynamics.

Production Focus vs. Consumption Focus

Differentiates between how objects are made and how they are perceived and used.

Highbrow vs. Lowbrow (Bourdieu)

Categorizes cultural forms showcasing social inequality in preferences.

Langue vs. Parole

Distinction between language structure and actual speech acts.

Use Value vs. Sign Value

Differentiates practical utility from status derived from cultural position.

Commodification vs. Singularization

Contrasts exchangeable pricing with unique personal significance of objects.

Body Maintenance vs. Body Modification

Distinguishes preservation of health from transformative identity work.

Diachronic vs. Synchronic Analysis

Compares historical change in meanings with simultaneous meanings in context.

Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality

Distinguishes between immersive digital environments and enhancements of physical reality.

Strengths of Structuralism

Offers a framework for understanding cultural codes beyond economic focus.