Blank Material Culture Analysis

I believe many would be hard pressed to come up with a word that speaks to the culture of the United States in totality. Being the “melting pot” of the world, America has many customs and traditions that have been borrowed, and also taken, from a variety of regions in the world (Zimmerman, 2015, para 1). From those various sources a set of values and beliefs have been crafted that generally define modern American culture. References to the values held in our society can be heard in conversations, seen in our mannerisms, and witnessed in the presence of common material staples that litter our bodies and streets. According to BLANK material culture “refers to objects or belongings of a group of people”. It is from these material objects that the values held high by these cultures can be examined. These values and beliefs are symbolized by these objects making up the nonmaterial culture of a group. Tasked with finding common objects in the American culture I reside in I was immediately drawn to 10 distinct items that paint a picture of the cultural atmosphere I live in. First of which is the flag. Being from a southern state, and being a person of African descent, when I mention a flag I am referring to both the American national flag and the Confederate. In …show more content…
Wedding Bands represent the belief in the institution of marriage and the benefit if the family unit. Family plans are often peddled by digital carriers appealing to that sense of nuclear connectivity and place in hand my next item; cell phones. Technological innovations are valued and encouraged. It can be seen in the iPhone 6 and the rush for things new and now can be seen in the advertising for the soon coming iPhone 7. It can also be seen at any of the fast food joints that have overtaken metropolitan areas. Americans value time and believe that we should have what we want quick, fast, and in a hurry. Fast Food is one of the many things that cater to