Arts, Media, and Sports Chapter 22

What is Art? Arts include the visual, written word, oral word, music and performance Expressive culture Manifestations of the arts Dance, music, sculpture, painting, clothing, story, comedy ,etc. Art - any object, event, or expressive form that evokes an aesthetic reaction Aesthetics – the appreciation of the perceived qualities of art Art is not always viewed as special and/or separate Not all cultures demonstrate “art lovers” or “patrons of the arts” Western society tends to separate the artistic, even if it comes from other cultures that do not Folk Art – Art, music, and lore “of the people” Contrasted by “high” or “classical” art

Religion Art tends to evoke a feeling Combined with the sacred to create a shared religious feeling “Greatest” periods of Western art and music often have religious affiliations Inspiration, or in service to Many correlates between Western art and religion Created or performed outdoors or indoors Separate from the ordinary world Permanent structures in state society Museums/Churches Non-Western art is also sometimes art for art’s sake

Individuality Museums focus on groups, not individuals, in non-Western art Some cultures do produce art more collectively Power of artist or critic Nigeria’s Tiv Best artists are private Mediocre are public and shaped by critique Western societies put less pressure on artists to be social Western artists are often more withdrawn and isolated Creators of art Sometimes little is known about the creator Recording artists and song writers Structures Who is the artist? Architect, Commissioner, Designer, Builder?

Ethnomusicology Comparative study of music as an aspect of culture and society Unites music and anthropology Music - study and analysis of music and instruments Anthropology – music to explore culture and to determine the role of music in society Generally studies non-Western music Music is a cultural universal Musical ability tends to run in families, suggesting genetic predisposition All cultures have lullabies Parents tend to sing in the same manner to children Increases survivability Music is a special noise in that it always involves a human Birds may “sing” but they don’t produce music Cared bone flute in Slovenia First instrument 43,000 years old Gullah Homecomings

Communication and Transmission Art can act as communication between artist and audience (community) Often through an intermediary Actors, musicians, collectors, etc. Audience often communicates back (applause) Uniform reactions are rare in contemporary state societies Art can act as catharsis (emotional release) for both the artist and the audience Appreciation can depend on cultural background It is learned Enculturation and formal education Aesthetic pleasantness will depend somewhat on culture

The Artistic Career Non-industrial part-time artists Western and non-Western contemporary societies spike in full-time art careers “Calling” to the arts Discovery of talent Specialized training or apprenticeship Support Families Patrons Buyers

Artistic Change Art changes and survives Much early art has survived history Cave art to monumental structures Countries and cultures are often known for “their” art Navajo sand paintings French cuisine Greek theater Italian fashion

Media and Culture Mass media and popular culture are interchangeable Appears and spreads rapidly Media consumers actively select, evaluate, and analyze in ways that make sense to them Uses Validate beliefs Indulge fantasies Find messages Locate information Make social comparisons Formulate plans Moral guardians (social elites) tend to be more suspicious or dismissive of media than the less powerful Parents will often choose media for their children that falls in line with their beliefs Media sources Internet, television, movies, radio, telephones, print, etc. Often a gateway to the otherwise inaccessible

Assessing Television TV and family planning Female education is the only variable that has a larger impact on family size than television Viewing level Years of a TV presence Length of television exposure reduces family size Reasons “Social Marketing” Copying shows Often limited by cost of actors and time

Sports and Culture Sports and culture influence one another American football Half the adult American population watches the Super Bowl Mass media/pop cultural event Football popularity Not due to violence of society, but of structure Teamwork Specialization Division of labor International Sport Success More than financial investment or “national will to win”, media portrayal of sport establishes Olympic level success Valuing winning at the Olympics Americans who expect success Brazilians who crave it more because it is rare Being vs Doing Ascribed status and Achieved Cultural focus on one or the other will impact sport Identity focused on who you are as opposed to what you do Working to get somewhere versus being born to do something