agar

Author Information Michael Agar

  • Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland, an esteemed position reflecting his extensive contribution to the field of anthropology and qualitative research.

  • Adjunct Professor at IIQM (International Institute for Qualitative Methods), where he teaches methodologies and applications relevant to qualitative inquiry.

  • Operates independently through Ethknoworks (http://www.ethknoworks.com), located near Santa Fe, NM, focusing on applied ethnographic research and consultancy.

Abstract

  • This document presents a written version of a lecture delivered at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UC Santa Barbara, highlighting current challenges and conceptual complexities surrounding cultural research.

  • Explores the difficulties in applying the cultural concept in contemporary research, emphasizing its relational nature, partiality, and the nuances of ethnography.

  • Suggests that despite its increasing popular use, the cultural concept may have outlived its technical application within academic research.

Keywords

  • Includes specific terms crucial to the discourse: ethnography, culture, history of anthropology, poststructural research.

Citation

  • Agar, M. (2006). Culture: Can you take it anywhere? International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 5(2), Article xx. Retrieved from http://www.ualberta.ca/~iiqm/backissues/5_2/pdf/agar.pdf

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction

  2. Ethnography and Language

  3. Challenges with the Concept of Culture

  4. Thought Experiment on Culture

  5. Evolution of Culture Concept

  6. Rethinking Culture

  7. Summary of Issues in Culture

  8. References

Introduction

  • The lecture was specifically requested by UC Santa Barbara as part of a series focused on themes surrounding ethnography, language, culture, and complexity theory.

  • This article is based on the third lecture in the series, which centers on unpacking the complexities inherent in the concept of culture.

  • The objective is to organize and present key themes in a comprehensible yet informal manner, making the discussion accessible to a broad audience.

Ethnography and Language

  • Ethnography is described as akin to learning a second 'languaculture', a term coined by Agar to encapsulate the interplay between language and the cultural contexts in which it is used.

  • 'Languaculture' involves not just language but also local knowledge and the background requisites necessary for effective communication and understanding.

  • Ethnography is further defined as the interaction that occurs between two recognizably distinct 'languacultures' (LC1 being the ethnographer's own culture and LC2 being that of the group being studied).

  • Within this discourse, the notion of 'rich points' emerges—unexpected phenomena that indicate differences between LC1 and LC2, thus guiding the ethnographer's learning process and fostering deeper understanding.

Challenges with the Concept of Culture

  • The note critiques the current cultural landscape, highlighting the complexity of applying the term 'culture' appropriately today.

  • Emphasizes that culture is frequently misused in discourse—it ranges from an adherence to traditions at one end to a critique of colonial legacies on the other.

  • The term remains contentious and often muddled in contemporary settings, necessitating a nuanced approach to its application.

  • Criticism from notable anthropologists such as John Gumperz and Roy D'Andrade is examined, providing a scholarly backdrop to the ongoing debates surrounding culture.

Thought Experiment on Culture

  • Engages in a thought experiment exploring how diverse personal backgrounds of individuals impact their perceptions and communication during an ethnographic study.

  • Attributes such as gender, ethnicity, and geography contribute to this diversity, illustrating that the concept of culture cannot be singular or static but rather is multifaceted and fluid.

  • Discusses how individual backgrounds significantly shape the understandings and meanings shared in communication, challenging the traditional closed system view of culture.

Evolution of Culture Concept

  • Offers a historic perspective on the usage of culture as a descriptive and explanatory instrument in anthropological research.

  • Critiques past methodologies for mistakenly treating culture as a static, single entity rather than recognizing its dynamic nature, characterized by layers of ongoing interaction and adaptation.

  • A current understanding aligns more with the perspectives that culture is fluid, with individuals and communities embodying multiple, overlapping cultural influences.

Rethinking Culture

  • Advocates for a re-evaluation of how culture is viewed and studied, calling for an emphasis on the richness of diversity and the interconnectedness of various cultural influences.

  • Argues for discussing culture in pluralistic terms, stressing the simultaneous coexistence of multiple cultural notions and values.

  • Encourages scholars to consider important dimensions such as hegemony, coupling, density, attitude, integration, and volatility when exploring cultural phenomena.

Summary of Issues in Culture

  1. Hegemony: Examines the influence of dominant cultures in particular situations and contexts.

  2. Coupling: Focuses on the relationships and connections among various cultural elements and how they interact.

  3. Density: Refers to the prevalence and manifestation of specific cultural aspects in given contexts.

  4. Attitude: Discusses the emotional responses individuals exhibit towards different cultural identities.

  5. Integration: Explores how individuals synthesize and combine multiple cultural influences into their personal identity.

  6. Volatility: Highlights the rapid and often unpredictable changes that can occur within cultural contexts.

Conclusion

  • The discussion ultimately frames culture through the lens of 'rich points' identified in social interactions, emphasizing the importance of these moments in understanding cultural dynamics.

  • Advocates for ethnographers to consistently track these rich points to gain better insights into cultural interactions.

  • Promotes a view of culture as a translation process, which acknowledges the diversity inherent in relationships formed between different cultural sources and targets during exchanges.

  • Issues a caution against simplistic understandings of culture, advocating instead for a complex, integrated approach when examining cultural phenomena in contemporary research contexts.

References

  • A comprehensive list of scholarly works cited throughout the text provides further reading material on relevant topics in ethnography, culture, and anthropology.

Major Ideas

  1. Cultural Complexity: The notion that the concept of culture is multifaceted and must be understood in a relational context. Its application in contemporary research often reveals its partiality and the challenges involved in defining it.

  2. Ethnography as Languaculture: Ethnography is akin to learning a second 'languaculture', intertwining language with the cultural contexts necessary for proper communication. This concept highlights how understanding local knowledge is crucial for effective ethnographic work.

  3. Rich Points: These are unexpected phenomena in social interactions that reveal differences between the ethnographer's culture and the studied group, fostering deeper understanding and guiding the learning process.

  4. Challenges with the Concept of Culture: Culture is often misused in modern discourse and remains contentious, leading to a need for a nuanced and critical approach in its application.

  5. Diverse Perspectives: The backgrounds of individuals (gender, ethnicity, geography) significantly shape their communication and perceptions, illustrating that culture is neither singular nor static but dynamic and fluid.

  6. Historical View of Culture: A critique of past methodologies in anthropology that treated culture as a static entity. The current understanding emphasizes culture's dynamic and evolving nature, incorporating multiple overlapping influences.

  7. Pluralistic Understanding: There is a call for a reevaluation of how culture is studied and discussed, advocating for recognizing the coexistence of various cultural influences and values.

  8. Dimensions of Culture: Important aspects to consider when studying culture include hegemony, coupling, density, attitude, integration, and volatility. Each plays a role in understanding how cultures interact and change.

  9. Ethnographer’s Role: Ethnographers should track 'rich points' to gain insights into cultural dynamics, viewing culture as a translation process that acknowledges the diversity found in intercultural exchanges.

  10. Caution Against Simplification: There's a warning against simplistic interpretations of culture, encouraging a more complex understanding to effectively navigate cultural phenomena in research.