MODULE 9

Art and Anthropology:

Cultural Relativism

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
OBJECTIVES
a. Relate the study of art to the field of anthropology.
b. Interpret cultural relativism as an anthropological
theory of art and beauty
c. Identify artworks, styles and artists that abide with
cultural relativism.
d. Formulate an anthropological approach to Art
Appreciation.
e. Discover the cultural norms of beauty of different
societies in the world.
f. Evaluate the merit or demerit of works of art based
on cultural relativism.
g. Be sensitive to the aesthetic standards of various
societies and cultures. DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
READING
9.1. “Cultural Relativism,” in http://www.ciampini.info/
file/CULTURAL%20 RELATIVISM.pdf.

VIDEOS
9.1. BBC. “Lip Plate of Suri Women-Tribe,” in https://
www.youtube.com/ watch?v=2Mz1vaTeUSY.
9.2. National Geographic. “Why do these [Padaung]
women stretch their necks?” In https:// www.you
tube.com/watch?v=0FME1At3vmI.
9.3. “History Day Documentary: Chinese Foot Binding,” in
https://www.you tube.com/watch?v=BPknlFz4Aqg
9.4. I-Witness. “Ang Huling Mambabatok,” in https://
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=x83lUBrxp4A.
LECTURES

9.1. Cultural Relativism in Aesthetics

9.2. Culture, Beauty and the Female Body

9.3. The Art of Pleasure in Hindu Culture

and Religion

9.4. Aesthetic Relativism in Popular Culture

9.5. Batok: Art of the Tattoo

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
 LECTURE 9.1
Cultural Relativism
in Aesthetics

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
 SOCIAL
PHILOSOPHY
STATE OF NATURE
Savagery (People against one another)

SOCIETY
Civilization (People live in community)
THEORY ON CULTURE, TRADITION, LAW
THE ORIGIN CUSTOM, CONVENTION
OF SOCIETY
Jean Jacques
Rousseau JUDGEMENT OF MORALITY
(1712-1788) PERCEPTION AND CONCEPT OF BEAUTY
Social Contract (Ethnocentric)
 FRANZ BOAS
(1848-1942)

Anthropology and Modern Life

The Mind of Primitive Mind
Primitive Arts

ANTHROPOLOGY: CULTURAL RELATIVISM

 CULTURAL RELATIVISM
HISTORICAL PARTICULARISM
Reject Comparative Approach in Anthropology
Favors Inductive Method: “Collect data first, theorize later.”

Reject Cultural Evolutionism

Asserts that culture not race determines behavior.

The elements of culture has its own unique, distinctive

history: No one, universal culture for all people at all times,
but each culture for each society.

Cultural forms that may look familiar are actually far from
identical because their different histories.

Avoid value judgment in Ethics and Aesthetics

“The art and characteristic styles of every people can be

understood by studying its production as a whole
independent of those of other people.”
 CULTURAL
RELATIVISM
IN AESTHETICS

CULTURE Perception
People in the Conception
Society BEAUTY

“Beauty is in the
(culturally conditioned)
eye of the beholder.”
 LECTURE 9.2
Culture, Beauty
and the Female Body

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
CULTURAL STANDARD
OF THE BEAUTY OF
WOMEN

SOCIETY OF THE
SURI PEOPLE
Africa
 SURI
WOMAN
The plate on
her lower lip
determines
her beauty and
acceptance in
her society

Video 9.1
CULTURAL STANDARD
OF THE BEAUTY OF
WOMEN

SOCIETY OF THE
PADAUNG PEOPLE
Myanmar
PADAUNG
WOMAN
The long neck
with spiral rings
determines her
beauty and
acceptance in
the society
CULTURAL STANDARD
OF THE BEAUTY OF
WOMEN

SOCIETY OF
CHINESE PEOPLE
China before 1917
 FOOT
BINDING
TRADITION
IN CHINA

Traditional
Chinese Women
with Lotus Feet
LOTUS
FEET
of the
Chinese
women
determine
beauty
BARE
LOTUS
FOOT
 BUDS OF THE
LOTUS FLOWER

BEGINNING OF
FOOT BINDING
IN 800 BC

The legend of
the court
dancers and the
emperor’s wife
with feet like
golf club
Golden Lotus
(4 inches)
Lotus
Shoes

Sign of
social
status
PAINFUL
PROCESS
OF FOOT
BINDING

From age
3 to 17
years
 Women with lotus feet could not walk properly.
They could not do productive works, and this had
retarded the development of Chinese economy
for almost 2,500 years from 800 BC to 1917.
 The sexual
connotation
of the lotus
feet

“The second vagina”

 THE MODERN LOTUS FEET

“TIIS GANDA”
Some women today wear these high heels just to make
themselves look beautiful, although very uncomfortable.
 LECTURE 9.3
The Art of Pleasure in
Hindu Culture and Religion

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
 BASIC CONCEPTS IN
HINDU LIFE AND RELIGION

TWO LAWS OF LIFE

SAMSARA Law of reincarnation

KARMA Law of cause and effect

FOUR GOALS OF LIFE

DHARMA Duty in family and society
ARTHA Accumulation of wealth and power
KAMA Experience of pleasure
MOKSHA Spiritual release
 Rebirth MOKSHA

Death Rebirth

Death Rebirth

SAMSARA Death Birth DHARMA

ARTHA
DUE TO
KAMA
KARMA
Life Life Life Life
1 2 3 4
 REALITY
SPIRITUAL RELEASE (Moksha)
Bhraman
HINDU WORLDVIEW & WAY OF LIFE

SELF-REALIZATION
WANDERING BEGGAR

STAGES OF LIFE
HERMIT: Solitude,
Yoga Meditation
ILLUSION
Maya HOUSEHOLDER:
Family & Society (Dharma)
Wealth & Power (Artha)
Pleasure (Kama)
PUPIL: Studies
Real: Atman = Bhraman
5 SHEETS

Intellectual: Mind
Samsara
Karma Psychological: Emotion
Perceptual: Senses
Physical: Body
 Kama Sutra, 400-200 BC
Compiled by Vatsyayana,
200 AD

SANSKRIT kama:
“desire” or “pleasure”
Sutra: “string” or “thread,”
metaphorically “a collection
of aphorisms that form a
manual or text”

ART OF PLEASURE
The experience of pleasure
(kama) is one of the four aims
of Hindu life necessary for a
person to attain spiritual
release (moksha).
RELIEF SCULPTURE IN KAJHURAHO TEMPLE, INDIA
 ANEKAPARIGRAHA
Sacred Prostitute

Fulfills men’s experience

of pleasure, therefore,
helping them to attain
spiritual release.
 GEISHA
Japanese
Traditional
Professional
Woman
Entertainer
 HENTAI
Japanese images
and cartoons
showing sexual
activities
 Hokusai
The Pillow
Book
 LECTURE 9.4
Aesthetic Relativism
in Popular Culture

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
 CULTURAL RELATIVISM IN
THE AESTHETICS OF POPULAR CULTURE

Trend, Fashion
Fad, The “in” thing
Baduy, Bakya
Jologs, Conyo
Passing, temporary and
recycling conventional
concept of beauty
 Where is the eyebrow?

Shaving the
eyebrow was
the fashion of
feminine beauty
during the
Renaissance.
Leonardo
Ginebra
d’Benci
Leonardo,
Lady with
an Ermine
Vermeer,
Girl with
a Pearl
Earing
MODERN
STANDARD

Amorsolo
Girl with
a Basket
of Mango
(Detail),
1956
Eyebrows
of the
modern
women
 FASHION
OF CLOTHING
THROUGH THE
DECADES
 2015’s
Fashion
 2010’s
Fashion
 2000’s
Fashion
 1990’s
Fashion
 1980’s
Fashion
 1970’s
Fashion
 1960’s
Fashion
 1880’S
FRENCH
FASHION
Seurat, Sunday Aftenoon in the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1888
 Seurat, Sunday
Aftenoon in the
Island of La Grande
Jatte, (Detail)

1880’s
FRENCH
FASHION
 BUSTLE
Framework
worn at the
back of the
woman to
prevent
heavy skirt
from
dragging

1880’s
FRENCH
FASHION
 1880’s
FRENCH
FASHION
Diane Kruger wearing a
bustle gown during the
2012 Oscar Awards
 FASHION OF
CLOTHING IN
THE PHILIPPINES
DURING THE
SPANISH PERIOD

Damian Domingo
Water color painting
showing Filipinos in
native costumes
 Damian Domingo
Water color painting
showing Filipinos in
native costumes
 Damian Domingo
Water color painting
showing Filipinos in
native costumes
 Damian Domingo
Water color painting
showing Filipinos in
native costumes
 ILLUSTRADO
CLASS

Damian Domingo
Water color painting
showing Filipinos in
native costumes
 STREET
VENDORS

Damian Domingo
Water color painting
showing Filipinos in
native costumes
 Domingo
Water Vendor
 Domingo
Fish Vendor
of Manila
Domingo
A Native
Laborer
 LECTURE 9.5
Batok: The Art
of the Tattoo

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
PHILIPPINES
Las Islas de
los Pintados

Illustration in
Boxer Codex,
1590
PHILIPPINES
Las Islas de
los Pintados
The natives put
tattoos which are
believed to enhance
bodily beauty.
Bodily marking were
signs of status, beauty,
family and pride. They
signify acts of combat,
courage and strength.
The more tattooed a
warrior is, the more he
is revered.
TATTOO IN
POPULAR
CULTURE

Batista, WWF
Filipino-American
Wrestler
PINTADOS FESTIVAL, TACLOBAN CITY
APO WANG UD

Mambabatok from
Mountain province

GAMABA Awardee
ACTIVITY AND
ASSESMENT

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE

DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
ACTIVITY AND
ASSESMENT
Individual activity: Write a reaction paper on
the documentary films about beauty and
women’s bodies in Suri, Padaung and Chinese
cultures.

Comment about the following issues:

1. Beauty and pain
2. Patriarchy and women’s
subordination
3. Individual choice versus social
convention
DR. ALLAN C. ORATE, UE
 RUBRICS FOR ACTIVITY 9
Needs
Excellent Good Fair
CRITERIA Improvement
(16-20 points) (11-15 points) (6-10 points)
(1-5)

The reaction
The essay reacts The reaction The reaction
Content and is thoroughly
on the issue is complete but is incomplete
substance of incomplete and
completely and not very and not
the essay not persuasive
persuasively. persuasive. persuasive.
at all

All points are

All points are Only some No points are
Arguments stated but some
stated and well points are stated stated nor
presented are not well
supported and supported supported.
supported

The essay abides The essay is There are many The essay has
with all the rules understood mistakes in many mistakes
Language and
of language, at it although there are language, and the in language, and
comprehension
is easily some mistakes in essay is
DR.hard to C. it
ALLAN is totally
ORATE, UE not
understood. language understand. understood.