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Cultural Terminology

Anthropology: Science of man, study of humankind in relation to distribution, origin,

classification, and relationship of races, physical character, environment, social relations, and
culture.

Ethnology: Science of dealing with division of mankind into races and their origins,
distribution, relations and characteristics, and comparative/analytical study of cultures.
Ethnomusicology is the study of music within cultures; Ethnochoreology is the study of
movement within cultures.

Ethnography: Descriptive anthropology involving case studies of cultures. Describing and

making sense (finding meaning) in cultural objects, practices, rituals, signs and symbols. Dance
ethnography requires observation and analysis of movement forms, content, gesture.

Cultural Studies largely text and object-based. Multiplicity of fields, formats, and theoretical
approaches.
Subjectivity and objectivity.
Cultural practices in relation to power, economics, gender, class.
The body and the male gaze; womens bodies as subordinate and passive, objects of the
male gaze. Body as primary medium, rather than interpreter of story or object of gaze.
Incorporates anthropology, ethnography (evidence is in field work), kinesthetic, and
semiotics.

Culture: Customary beliefs, social forms and material tracts of a racial, religious, or social
group (capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge) to seceding generations.

Cultural Mythology: a value system that provides a window into a world. A lens.

Semiotics: theory of signs and symbols (codes which carry meaning) dealing especially with
their function in language. Meaning of signs are found in relationship with other signs in a
system. ***Everything is connected!**

Hegemony: dominant influence or authority, such as white, male in Western cultures.

Equity is the equal distribution of power and goods.

Hierarchy: body of persons in authority, ruling authority. Often graded or ranked, typically
pyramid shaped. Military is an example. Hierarchy in western dance forms: ballet, modern,
jazz, ethnic forms.

Authority: Expert. Power to influence or command thought, opinion, behavior, policy.

Misogyny: hatred of women.

All art springs from a particular culture and is a construct. Romantic ideal, imperialism,
nationalism.