anthropology ch 14 – Flashcards

the creative use of the imagination to interpret, express and engage in life.

art is see as a luxury that has no use or real purpose. the arts are seen as non-essential. schools often cut art classes first because they are too expensive and don't get much money out of it.

southern african bushman art is one of the oldest art forms of art, started 27,000 years ago. rock are includes etching and engraving on the faces of rock shelters and rock out crops. animals were depicted as well as humans. signs, dots, grids, and zigzags.

at first anthropologist took an aesthetic approach to analyzing bushman rocks. lots of guess work and not very informative. then they took a more INTERPRETIVE APPROACH. they interviewed modern day bushman communities; they examined the bushman ethnography; and they examined the nature of trance. using this approach anthropologist found that the animals in the paintings weren't the animals they ate, but they were they animals they thought had great powers.

entoptic phenomena, construal, iconic images

first stage of trance. the nervous system generates a variety of constantly changing and shifting geometric patterns called _______. which includes grids, parallel lines, zigzags, dots, and filigress, often in a spiral pattern.

second stage in trance. occurs when the brain tries to make sense of the patterns they are seeing. its governed by different cultures, they might see things that they have experienced in their culture.

the last stage in trance. they individual may feel as if they are becoming part of the hallucinations. they may feel as though they are passing through a rotating tunnel. on the walls of this tunnel, are entoptic phenomena and _________ integrated together.

was a term coined during the 19th century to depict the unwritten stories, beliefs, and customs of the european peasantary. instead we now use the word "oral tradition" because pf the implied distinction made by folk art and fine arts

myths, legend, and tales

is a sacred narrative explaining how the world came to be in its present form, how the world came to be, why we are here, and where we are going. the worldview of peoples is often expressed. provide a rationale of religious beliefs and practices.

-are stories about memorable events or individual -are told as true but have no evidence - usually can not be attributed to any known author -often are a combination of realism and the super natural of extraordinary

are creative narratives recognized as fiction, used for entertainment although moral or lessons may be taught. show solutions to universal problems.

are story situations and reoccur like Cinderella

the study of a society's music in the terms of its cultural setting

-music can be used as a way to voice opposition to those in power -some groups use music for the purpose of self identification -music allows groups to celebrate their ethnic identity -songs can often express a group's value, beliefs, and concerns