Profanation: How Breaks In Structures Affect Different Cultures Prompt: Dissect The Meaning Of Symbols In Durkheim And Relate It To Hebdige's Work "Subculture"

2722 words - 11 pages

Nedum Aniemeka SOSC 12200 March 18, 2014Profanation: How Breaks in Structures Affect Different CulturesMany of the authors we have read this quarter have explored the presence of structures in society in order to flesh out what culture is. Specifically, these authors not only attempt to identify the structures present in any given culture, but they also dissect and examine the relationships between these structures in order to determine how a society functions under a given set of rules/conventions. While these thinkers have different approaches to evaluating how structures are formed and followed, (for example, Hebdige uses an ethnographic analysis while Sahlins isolates a specific moment of time to study the structures of a certain group of people) all of these authors have similar overarching arguments. The similarities between them lie in their understanding of profanation, and what they believe it means when things that are usually kept separate are suddenly placed into the same world. Hebdige, Sahlins, and Adorno all operate under the system of profanation in their examinations of culture, and by observing their analyses we can determine what kind of societal and political consequences arise from profanation in various cultures.As already mentioned, the idea of profanation plays an important role in each of these thinkers' works. However, in order to understand what is meant by profanation, we must return to Durkheim's observations of the sacred vs. the profane. According to Durkheim, "sacred things are those which interdictions protect and isolate; profane things, those to which these interdictions are applied and which must remain at a distance from the first" (Durkheim, pg. 40). These interdictions Durkheim speaks of create relationships not only between what is sacred and what is profane, but also between things of varying degrees of sacredness. Thus, one ends up with structures that revolve around these categories of what can and cannot "touch" depending on their place in the hierarchy of sacredness. This is where the idea of profanation stems from. Naturally, individuals in society operate by separating ideas and objects into different categories in order to make sense of the world around them. However, there are certain categories that can mix and there are some that for them to be placed in the same realm as another, it would be considered unnatural or inappropriate. Profanation occurs when these codes and regulations that we normally uphold in society are suddenly broken -it is a deviation from what is usually observed in every day life.The first work we can consider using this definition of profanation is Adorno's piece on the fetishizing of music. Adorno begins his essay by explaining how the profanation of music in the past used to involve going against conventions. Now, Adorno writes "impulse, subjectivity, and profanation, the old adversaries of materialistic alienation, now succumb to [conventions]. The representatives of the...

Explain how organisational structure and culture relate to power and influence in the workplace

1537 words - 6 pages An organisation can be described as a means by which management can co-ordinate the efforts of individuals to achieve an objective. It can be looked at, as an intentional structure of roles where the process involves both the structuring of activities together with the allocation of roles within the workplace. In a formal organization it shows the authority relationship, the formal communication channel and the formal lines of accountability

This essay will aim to discuss Durkheim and Marx in the context of sociology of religion

1967 words - 8 pages that people often commit themselves to as they want to put their faith into something. As part of the cultural system, religious beliefs give meaning to life, they answer"Mans questions about himself and the world he lives in". (Haralambos, 2000, pg651)Durkheim was a functionalist and functionalism still has validity in sociology. He suggested that society is best studied if it can be compared to the human body.The idea to compare was logical in

The Handmaid's Tale - by Margaret Atwood Prompt: Compare how different characters in the novel adapt to life under the new regime. (full title below)

668 words - 3 pages We lived, as usual, by ignoring. Ignoring isn't the same as ignorance, you have to work at it." Compare how different characters in the novel adapt to life under the new regime."The Handmaid's Tale" is a novel by Canadian poet, Margaret Atwood. This book illustrates a dystopian society where men are represented as powerful and self-sufficient, and women as servants. Men are defined by their ability in the 'military' (Guardians, Commanders and

How Aquinas and Ockham relate and differ in Faith-Reason and The Problem of universals

641 words - 3 pages faith, though such truths are incomplete. Aquinas claimed that the act of faith consists essentially in knowledge. Faith is an intellectual act whose object is truth. Thus it has both a subjective and objective aspect. From the side of the subject, it is the minds assent to what is not seen. Moreover, this assent, as an act of will, can be meritorious for the believer, even though it also involves the assistance of God's grace. Moreover, Faith

O brother where art thou, and the Odyssey Prompt: Creatures encountered in the film and the text- how are they similar/ different?

1519 words - 6 pages Where Art Thou is based on The Odyssey they still have there similarities and differences in the way the various creatures are portrayed. Because of the way the different creatures are portrayed, it also gives them different symbolic relevance to the viewers.There are many similarities between the creatures of The Odyssey and that of O Bother Where Art Thou, the main creatures that have a counter part in The Odyssey are the sheriff (Poseidon) The

The Meaning of Auctions and How They Work

997 words - 4 pages . Summary We have introduced the meaning of auctions and how they work, and explained the relationship between dynamic pricing concept and types of auctions. In addition to the benefits of online auctions, we talked also about the auction process and software development. To conclude, one of the main issues in e-commerce in these days is how to integrate the Internet into offline businesses, so a company that can offer and provide its services both

The Effects of Body Image in Different Cultures

1138 words - 5 pages in Jamaica, it is more desirable, and socially accepted, to be fat. American women use makeup to express feelings and moods while Bedouin women use tattoos as a means to reveal their personalities. Contemporary Western culture sees the body as an object that is separate from the self, while many other societies see a person as an integration of the mind, body, and spirit. By studying the effects of body image in a few different cultures, a new

Compare and contrast the economic, political, and social structures of Ancient Athens to modern-day Iraq to see if democracy can work in Iraq

1152 words - 5 pages Democracy does not work. This is the case in some countries. However in others democracy can thrive and work like no other government. By comparing the political, economic, and social structures of ancient Athens and Iraq it can determine what the conditions are for democracy to work in Iraq. Before democracy is able to work in Iraq, the Iraqi people must learn to coexist with one another, pay off their debt, and Athens went through

Creation Stories of the Universe in Different Cultures

1104 words - 5 pages No one is exactly sure how but the universe was created billions of years ago for some unknown reason. Every culture from around the world at one point starts to wonder where did it all come from? Who or what created the world we know today? The story of the creation of our world has been repeatedly told in a variety of religion, folklore, mythology and science as well. Although told in different languages and separate parts of the world

Burial in different cultures (

1372 words - 5 pages from beingdisturbed. It also acted as a type of "purge valve" for any ba which mayhave been unjustly disturbed in the tomb. Burial practices aside one can note an interesting difference between these two ancient civilizations. Differences can be observedconcerning how amicable the afterlife was. The Egyptians had a positiveoutlook. They believed that after one became Osirus, They would move intoa new world, which was nice, no one had to work, and

What is Federalism and How Does It Relate to State Governments and Other Forms of Governance?

1006 words - 5 pages , & Schmidt, 2011). A chose system government gets its powers clearly from a made set out of fundamentals and hindrances, in the United States (US) it is the Constitution. In the US, the conflict for federalism was settled all around the approval of the Constitution, showed in the past portion. In present times federalism has gotten sponsorship as a model because this appearance of government puts a face to powers and brings government closer to the

Meaning Of Marriage In Different Cultures

2153 words - 9 pages In Islam, marriage is a contract between two people. It is required that a certain amount of money be relayed to the bride. This idea of dowry derives from the word in Arabic; Mahr. Furthermore, like both Christianity and Judaism, Islam is strict on the concept of chastity. It is the element of staying pure. Seeing as marriage in Islam is concealed with intercourse, which is evident from the root of the world in Arabic meaning marriage. The

Outline Three Different Ways Christians Can Practice Personal Devotion In Their Tradition And Analyze How These Practices Relate To The Principal Teachings And Beliefs Of Christianity

1252 words - 5 pages understanding of the word. This devotion of scripture reading is noted through Timothy 4:13 where it states: "Till I come, give attendance to reading". These scriptures, therefore, then relate to the devotions as the scripture contains all beliefs, teachings and events of Christianity, in which are prominent aspects in all devotions.Another popular devotion is the rosary, which is primarily associated with the Catholic Church. It incorporates

Analysis Of 2 Items That Relate To "Relationships" How It Is Depicted And The Themes Involved

1452 words - 6 pages woman in the advertisement by their pose obivously have a loving romantic relationship by their pose, but also there is a hint of sexual tension as well by the way their faces are so close and the way she has her eyes closed, leaning towards him, giving herself to him. Their simplicity and scaricty of their clothing also is a symbol of the bond between the two, for it conveys a sense of vulnerbility in their lack of clothes, yet also a certain

The Expanding Field Of Sports Sponsorship And Relate It To Growth In Market Share For Multinational Organisations

2475 words - 10 pages British Olympic Association (B&Q, 2006).2.0 Theory StatementThe purpose of the report is to theorise the expanding field of sports sponsorship and relate it to growth in market share for multinational organisations (Appendix A).3.0 Current Market Scenario in Sports SponsorshipsSelecting the right sport to sponsor is an imperative process that could lead a firm to an astronomical cachet or be an enormous financial strain. Cannon is an example of