Traces of earlier lives and livelihoods

The cultural landscape not only mirrors the present moment in the flow of events and personalities, but it also fits into the quote attributed to science-fiction writer, William Gibson; that "the future is already here, but it is distributed unevenly." By extension the cultural landscape is also the place where the past is still here, but it is distributed unevenly.

Fulton and Jefferson Streets, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

This photo shows a variety of buildings in downtown Grand Rapids, each with a different origin story. A closer look at the physical expression of the historical moment that each one dates to will reveal some of the desirable design elements of the time, the state of the (then) art installed and contractors' standard of practice in craftsmanship, the functionality and features of the time, and the purpose it was meant to be used for when first opened. Apart from the church steeple barely visible over the treetops on the right side of the horizon in this photo, most of the other buildings have tenants or owners much different to the people who dreamt of the building and then brought it to completion. 

Just as the assemblage of buildings from different eras all jostle side by side in the present moment, the same can be said of people of different generations, social-economic status, ethnic origins, and so on who comprise today's nation and this particular municipality. Likewise of books in the lending collection on the nearby library shelves; of trees in the park of different ages and origins; or words found in conversation or present in this sentence. What is common to all these examples is the co-incidence or coexistence of subjects with origins of different years and possibly of different geographic setting. No matter what the roots are and what the path was that brings the things together in the present moment, they all share the space and time right now: the future is already here, but also the past is still here. This mix of dates and styles is what makes it so engaging and rewarding to read the cultural landscape. Even with incomplete knowledge, it is possible to see in the photo a Chinese buffet across the street in a sturdy and stylish brick building with decorative ceramic elements. Surely, the original owners did not envision the series of businesses that have filled the premises across the generations since it was built and opened for business decades ago.

Without expertise, deep memory, or local knowledge it is hard to know with confidence the meanings, uses, and chronology of personalities and events connected to a given building and surrounding location. But even approaching the cultural landscape with much ignorance, there is some satisfaction that is earned upon starting the adventure by paying attention; noticing details, patterns, and surrounding conditions that may contribute to the design, siting, and features visible in the durable structures of years ago.

In contrast to mass produced features of the cityscape like clothing, vehicles, and functional parts of the infrastructure like signage, traffic rules, and public safety services like police and fire, the creation of a building is usually one-of-a-kind. So whereas these other elements of the present moment might reflect something about the purchaser and user, in the case of buildings the massive scale and the long lifespan allow curious observers to imagine some of the considerations of the designer, builder, and owner at the original creation of the architectural form created. Later developments in technology, economy and consumer relations, and trends in people's lives play a part in the second and additional chapters in the each particular building, but traces of the original decisions baked into the structure can still be read into what we see there today. Perhaps there was a degree of pride, fashionableness, or ambition to present the latest services and products. 

Generations later those faint echoes from the original time of opening perhaps remain for those who seek them, but even without turning an eye to "the past is still here, but it is distributed unevenly," it is possible to appreciate the diverse eras all buildings present here within walking distance in the city center. Then after exercising one's imagination of the past that lives on, it is natural to continue the process and look ahead through the mists of time to suppose how these same durable structures may carry on as time travelers to the future, under the management of new owners or tenants who continue their livelihood among the lives of those future people who only now being born.

Buy Nothing online group redistributes goods locally

 

Front porch items deposited with names of recipients attached

Somehow related to the success of the "Nextdoor" email franchise that invites local residents to pool questions, answers, observations, complaints, friendly reminders, and sometimes rants, someone in this neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan created "Buy Nothing" as a way for local residents to announce things being given away at no cost. Whereas Nextdoor is national or international and includes a commercial sponsorship (paid advertising) layer, Buy Nothing seems to have no reference to gainful private enterprise. Perhaps "social capital" does accrue to the most frequent commenters and givers-away of unwanted gear and clothing, extra batches of edibles, and so on. In any case, the rapid pace of posting items requested or offered and subsequent pick-up by the person who is selected by the owner is a good way to redistribute material goods directly, mediated only by the electrons flitting onto Internet-connected devices. When several responses come in for a particular item, the owner must decide whom to choose; sometimes by first-come, first-served logic, or else by lottery (random choice). But other times it is based on the case made for why the person is the most eligible.

H.A.B.U. (Highest and Best Use) of the disused freebies is achieved by this simple and valuable activity between local residents who otherwise do not know one another, despite living on the same street or in the same district neighborhood association within the larger city boundaries. Rather than putting something with value still remaining into the solid-waste stream bound for "long term storage" in a sanitary landfill, this method of redistribution finds a new owner to make use of the thing. As a by-product of the flurry of activity with residents picking up things from strangers' porches and others bagging up things with a name tag to leave on their own porch, a little of the social fabric is strengthened. For those on a tight budget this kind of "yard sale prices on demand" (put out a call for an item that is seldom or never used anymore and see if there is one to borrow or to get at no cost) is a boon. Equally for those eager to clear their cupboards, basement or attic or garage clutter, or wanting to empty a rented storage unit, this service is handy.

Whereas some societies are accustomed to scavenging perfectly good items discarded in junkyards or roadsides, in other (materially wealthy) societies there is some degree of social pressure to buy new things and to avoid used ones. In USA around the time of the Great Depression (1929 onward) and to a lesser extent during the Great Recession (2008 onward), necessity led more and more people to "make a virtue of necessity" and swallow any pride about always buying new. Instead they began to visit thrift shops, yard sales, estate sales, and word-of-mouth asking around to borrow or take possession of unused, unwanted things from others. Now due to the forced under- and unemployment of so many in USA due to the corona Trump virus the unconsumerism and rising concern about landfill waste is leading more city residents to give and take via the online hyper-local system of Buy Nothing. For the ancient brainstem legacy of hunter-gatherer ancestors, there is a certain thrill in finding ways to dispose of unwanted things; of obtaining things, and indeed lending a helping hand to others in the area who one does not personally know.

So the next time you see someone approach a porch and come away with a parcel, it may not be a Fedex or Amazon porch pirate. Instead, it could be the person named on the package being given away via the Buy Nothing service.

Culture is... Hall of World Cultures, university museum

4 dimensions of culture: diverse, adaptive, dynamic, symbolic [click photo for larger view]

A quiet Saturday afternoon late in January was a chance to return for a visit to the Michigan State University Museum after several years. Some wide ranging reflections on the presentation of artifacts appears in this blog about museums following this day's brief visit. Part of the permanent exhibition is the Hall of World Cultures, above. Several of the glass cases go beyond the region-specific presentations and address the anthropological uses for the concept of culture. Among trained professionals in scholarly settings or in private sector social analysis the range of meanings for this term is wide, each person emphasizing the facets they know best: culture's integral place in language and thought, culture as extension of physical interface with the Earth's habitats and other creatures and resources there, culture as secondary to political economy, culture as source of meaning, culture as learned and shared and partly flexible but partly conservative and long-lasting, and so on.

In this photo the analytical overview of culture divides into the four facets (displayed from right to left): culture is symbolic, dynamic, adaptive, diverse. Synonyms are many but could restate these four as culture is: meaningful, flexible, reactive to circumstances, and multi-form. The display case illustrates each of the facets with material culture drawn from many different parts of the world to show that the assertion indeed fits all these contrasting examples. Other display cases focus on just one of the facets, such as "culture is adaptive" in the illustration of teapots of China from various locations, materials, and eras.

illustration for "culture is adaptive" [click photo for bigger view]

Perhaps the widest definition that encompasses the four facets in this permanent display, along with many others, is to say that "culture is what gives shape to your life." Much like the philosophers of design who say that "everything around you has a specific shape; many times it was a person or group of people who determined that form." So, too, of culture informing and shaping your thinking, speaking, actions, life plans, daily habits, procedures to solve problems - indeed, the ways to identify what counts as a "problem," all these things stem from the system of meanings and methods inherited, adapted, expressed, and handed down.

As someone who studied anthropology at college and went on to graduate school for more of the same, eventually teaching and writing anthropology, participating in conferences, conversations, and committee work, the idea of culture is like an old family friend. But to see it here in the Hall of World Cultures at first gave the feeling of seeing it with fresh eyes. After all, when you swim in these waters it so easily is taken for granted. But when you are a fish out of the water for a moment, then you see it from a little distance and are granted a moment with which to look at it plainly. In this instance at the MSU Museum, what does it mean to show the visitors that culture is diverse in the many channels and forms it takes; that it is adaptive to circumstances that come and go; that it is dynamic in changing moment by moment as a living thing; and that it is symbolic and carries meanings tied to other themes in the society and land and seasons that comprise the context for living?

The collection of meanings, practices, and organizing themes bequeathed by elders and lived out in the current generations is vast and multifarious: vague perceptions, articulated ideas, verbalized patterns and responses to cues, social relationships and structures of status, technologies that put knowledge and sometimes wisdom into functional physical form, and relationships with landscape and seascape by which livelihoods are made and lifetimes are made meaningful. So each of the four declarations, above, offer separate organizing standpoints to look at the vastness of a single culture or to look comparatively across boundaries and over the span of generations.

Thinking about some possible reactions by visitors to the "culture is..." descriptions, the authoritative language could put the reader into the framework of looking up something in an encyclopedia: it is no-nonsense language, leaves little room for doubt of the meaning, and may bear traces of lecturing to the ear of someone ignorant of the scholarly (technical term and) meaning of 'culture'. Furthermore, unless the reader can somehow see what is being pointed out in the display case or by considering personal experiences with living in the society just outside the museum walls, then the explanations will ring empty; not true or urgent. Hopefully, though, at least a few visitors will embrace some of the meanings being expressed and then go out into the light of day outside the museum and start to notice things about the built landscape, social interactions, the natural landscape and people's livelihoods, the many ways that language is used to create meaning, and the ways that a person's mindset colors the world around them.

In conclusion, seeing the label text and artifacts to illustrate "culture is..." here in the MSU Museum, the directness of the explanation (culture is diverse, dynamic, adaptive, and symbolic) and the physical examples of each concept do effectively express the kinds of things that social scientists mean by 'culture'. But since the lens is turned toward 'exotic' other people or historical societies from which artifacts were obtained, it is probably difficult for many visitors to make the mental leap and look in the mirror (turning the lens around to study one's own ways of doing things) to see culture in personal, interpersonal, and society-scale patterns and relationships. In other words, the display at the museum shines a light on the presence and significance of documenting and understanding the structures of people's culture. But it does not go so far as to operationalize the concept for the visitors to examine their own day-in, day-out experiences using this term. And yet, to demonstrate the importance and insight of culture for understanding others AND equally to understand one's own line of family, community, and ideas is a worthwhile step and unifies one's own familiar society with all those unfamiliar people around the world and the societies of other centuries, too. By putting all ways of life onto an even playing field, the common humanity is expressed: exotic is de-exoticized and familiar is de-familiarized.  Each lived experience has meaning and value.

What makes anthropology what it is?

veterans' monument, north end of Main Stree, downtown St. Johns, MI 48879

Context of time, place, and within the spectrum of the human condition (relationship to other varieties of culture and language and environment and ideology and material culture).

Text for the master narratives known among the speakers (and/or readers) of a particular language.

Texture that gives shape, feel, rhythms and patterns to daily experience.

And while there are many other social science and humanities traditions now and those found in other places/languages and time, it is anthropology that engages most personally; personal scale of individual lives, and by means of participant-observation, rather than to pretend any sort of pure abstraction or analytical distance from the subjects. Much of the most valuable work is conducted in the field and for extended, even longitudinal periods, during which many relationships are formed that work in both directions: of use and satisfaction (or distress) to the anthropologist, but also a living part of the local people's knowledge and resource pool of social capital to make use of. In the best examples a dialog results with voice of insider and outsider both present in the final form.

What makes anthropology what it is?

veterans' monument, north end of Main Stree, downtown St. Johns, MI 48879

Context of time, place, and within the spectrum of the human condition (relationship to other varieties of culture and language and environment and ideology and material culture).

Text for the master narratives known among the speakers (and/or readers) of a particular language.

Texture that gives shape, feel, rhythms and patterns to daily experience.

And while there are many other social science and humanities traditions now and those found in other places/languages and time, it is anthropology that engages most personally; personal scale of individual lives, and by means of participant-observation, rather than to pretend any sort of pure abstraction or analytical distance from the subjects. Much of the most valuable work is conducted in the field and for extended, even longitudinal periods, during which many relationships are formed that work in both directions: of use and satisfaction (or distress) to the anthropologist, but also a living part of the local people's knowledge and resource pool of social capital to make use of. In the best examples a dialog results with voice of insider and outsider both present in the final form.

Garage sale - redistributing wealth, meaning, material culture

selling off unwanted, accumulated household possessions - sheltered in garage

After taking a turn near the road to wave the passing cars toward the garage sale, I sat down in the cool shade of this warm August morning and reflected on the tables of once cherished or at least familiar possessions heaped on the tables here and extending outside onto the driveway area. Several houses contributed their items with prices affixed individually, or as a category (hardback books $1 and paperback $0.50 with children's little books 2 for $0.25). This produces a richer selection for those who stop to browse, many of whom are grandparents in search of things for family members. Others are collectors of specific items, or young families who wish to economize by sifting through the "free box" of unpriced items which by custom one should not monopolize, but leave some for others, too. Since most prices are a few dollars, the savings can be considerable if a person buys many things at a garage sale at pennies on the dollar when comparing the price of a used item to a new one, or even to the prices displayed online at Craigslist or Ebay.

The workers function, after arranging everything, is to be social and make their presence known to shoppers by a simple salutation or small talk. This way the shopper is made aware of the surveillance that is present to dissuade any stealing. At the end of the 3 days of selling and replenishing tables with other sale items that did not fit onto the surfaces at the beginning then the proceeds are tallied and the bits of tape or tags to identify the owner who contributed an item can be calculated.

One part of the experience of spending the day as part of the selling team is to meet acquaintances or friends, sometimes after a lapse of many years. There is moment when a stranger's face or voice slowly trigger memories and in an instant one knows who the person is. Instead of "a person" there is now a named part of one's social memory, complete with past meanings connected to the relationship with that person. It is like the picture turning from black and white into full color at the spark of recognition.

Nevertheless, another part of the day working at the garage sale is to recognize material culture that formed the fabric of one's own life or the world of one's children, for instance. For shoppers they see a power saw, but for you there are memories of the things built or repaired with that tool. For shoppers they see a pair of shoes, but for you  there are memories of some of the places those shoes took you. For shoppers there is a cassette tape with the recording of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but for you there are the many parties where those melodies were played. In all these cases the assembly of personal property first joins the similar items contributed by the other sellers on these tables and in the public eye of shoppers whose main source of reckoning meaning is the functionality of the item (it suits a need, or it fits their imagination) or the price tag. Thus the slight bitterness of seeing what once held a constant place in the geography of one's household routines and mental landscape of memories now drained of meaning and left on a table for strangers to take away someplace. The cumulative result of the many garage, yard, rummage, or tent sales around the town this weekend is that lots of personal property gets new owners and scatters to all sorts of unexpected places for another life of use until finally going into still another garage sale, or into a recycle stream, or possibly into a layer of landfill disposal.

Garage sale - redistributing wealth, meaning, material culture

selling off unwanted, accumulated household possessions - sheltered in garage

After taking a turn near the road to wave the passing cars toward the garage sale, I sat down in the cool shade of this warm August morning and reflected on the tables of once cherished or at least familiar possessions heaped on the tables here and extending outside onto the driveway area. Several houses contributed their items with prices affixed individually, or as a category (hardback books $1 and paperback $0.50 with children's little books 2 for $0.25). This produces a richer selection for those who stop to browse, many of whom are grandparents in search of things for family members. Others are collectors of specific items, or young families who wish to economize by sifting through the "free box" of unpriced items which by custom one should not monopolize, but leave some for others, too. Since most prices are a few dollars, the savings can be considerable if a person buys many things at a garage sale at pennies on the dollar when comparing the price of a used item to a new one, or even to the prices displayed online at Craigslist or Ebay.

The workers function, after arranging everything, is to be social and make their presence known to shoppers by a simple salutation or small talk. This way the shopper is made aware of the surveillance that is present to dissuade any stealing. At the end of the 3 days of selling and replenishing tables with other sale items that did not fit onto the surfaces at the beginning then the proceeds are tallied and  the bits of tape or tags to identify the owner who contributed an item can be calculated.

One part of the experience of spending the day as part of the selling team is to meet acquaintances or friends, sometimes after a lapse of many years. There is moment when a stranger's face or voice slowly trigger memories and in an instant one knows who the person is. Instead of "a person" there is now a named part of one's social memory, complete with past meanings connected to the relationship with that person. It is like the picture turning from black and white into full color at the spark of recognition.

Nevertheless, another part of the day working at the garage sale is to recognize material culture that formed the fabric of one's own life or the world of one's children, for instance. For shoppers they see a power saw, but for you there are memories of the things built or repaired with that tool. For shoppers they see a pair of shoes, but for you  there are memories of some of the places those shoes took you. For shoppers there is a cassette tape with the recording of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but for you there are the many parties where those melodies were played. In all these cases the assembly of personal property first joins the similar items contributed by the other sellers on these tables and in the public eye of shoppers whose main source of reckoning meaning is the functionality of the item (it suits a need, or it fits their imagination) or the price tag. Thus the slight bitterness of seeing what once held a constant place in the geography of one's household routines and mental landscape of memories now drained of meaning and left on a table for strangers to take away someplace. The cumulative result of the many garage, yard, rummage, or tent sales around the town this weekend is that lots of personal property gets new owners and scatters to all sorts of unexpected places for another life of use until finally going into still another garage sale, or into a recycle stream, or possibly into a layer of landfill disposal.