Culture and Ethnic Identity: The Case of The Lahanan of Ulu Belaga.
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THE SARAWAK MUSEUM JOURNAL |
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Title :
Culture and Ethnic Identity: The Case of The Lahanan of Ulu Belaga. |
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Author :
Jennifer Alexander |
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Abstract:
The development of social anthropology over the past two decades might well be seen as the refinement of increasingly complex understandings of the concept of culture. While contemporary anthropologists agree on the centrality of the culture concept to their discipline, there has often been rather less agreement on how the concept should be defined or how it might best be used in investigating the ways of life of other peoples. In his well-known and highly regarded book, Mirror for Man the American anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn listed no less than eleven definitions of culture ranging from “the total ways of life of a people”, through “a way of thinking, feeling and believing”, to a “set of techniques for adjusting both to the external environment and to other men” (1949). But despite this apparent diversity the definitions do have something in common and it is possible to make some general statements about culture with which anthropologists would agree. Or at least most anthropologists, most of the time. There is a tendency in popular discourse to equate culture with the expressive arts. When we talk of a people’s culture we often mean their music, their dances, their carving and painting, perhaps their pastimes and sports,even their ceremonies. The common distinction between popular culture and high culture is based on this view and further incorporates a judgement that some artistic purposes and products are superior to others. It is important to stress that the anthropological concept is not limited to these aspects of culture; and nor does it involve moral or other evaluations. This is not to deny the centrality of the expressive arts within cultures. Dances, music and other artistic endeavours are not only entertainments which provide opportunities for individuals to demonstrate their talents and skills, theyare also a majormeans by which societies represent their ethnic identity both to themselves and to their neighbours.
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| DOI: XXXX |
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How to cite:
Alexander, J. (1989). Culture and Ethnic Identity: The Case of The Lahanan of Ulu Belaga. The Sarawak Museum Journal, XL (61): 51-60 |
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References
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