Re: foucault on slavery and politics --Psych/physical tools?

From: Mary van der Riet (VanDerRiet@ukzn.ac.za)
Date: Wed Mar 23 2005 - 02:42:02 PST


In response to Jay's comment on 'ossification' and culture, when one
thinks of culture as a dialectical process, would that not counter any
idea of stagnation/ossification? If cultural frames 'afford' us
particular opportunities/concepts, do not we in turn utilise, interact
with and form culture - almost then 'affording' culture the opportunity
of becoming something different?

I always find Clifford Geertz's articulation of the concept of culture
useful. He draws a distinction between a stratigraphic approach (culture
as a layer, for example on an onion, that can and must be removed), and
a more synthetic understanding of the relationship between culture and
the individual: culture as a process. This moves away from culture as a
variable - which is how much psychological research is conducted.

Mary

Mary van der Riet; School of Psychology; University of KwaZulu-Natal
Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209

email: vanderriet@ukzn.ac.za
tel: 033 260 6163; fax: 033 2605809

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