As a discipline, cultural analysis is based on using qualitative research methods of the social sciences, in particular ethnography and anthropology, to collect data on cultural phenomena; in an effort to gain new knowledge or understanding through analysis of that data. This is particularly useful for understanding and mapping trends, influences, effects, and affects within cultures.
There are four themes to cultural analysis:
1. Adaptation and Change
This refers to how well a certain culture adapts to its surroundings through the use of its culture. Some examples of this are foods, tools, home, surroundings, art, etc. that show how the given culture adapted. Also, this aspect aims to show how the given culture makes the environment more accommodating.
2. How culture is used to survive
How the given culture helps its members survive the environment.
3. Holism, Specifity
The ability to put the observations into a single collection, and presenting it in a coherent manner.
4. Expressions
This focuses on studying the expressions and performance of everyday culture.
Famous quotes containing the words cultural and/or analysis:
“The men who are messing up their lives, their families, and their world in their quest to feel man enough are not exercising true masculinity, but a grotesque exaggeration of what they think a man is. When we see men overdoing their masculinity, we can assume that they haven’t been raised by men, that they have taken cultural stereotypes literally, and that they are scared they aren’t being manly enough.”
—Frank Pittman (20th century)
“Ask anyone committed to Marxist analysis how many angels on the head of a pin, and you will be asked in return to never mind the angels, tell me who controls the production of pins.”
—Joan Didion (b. 1934)