Material Culture Paper

Our culture is heavily influenced by the material objects in our world, and it has affected the social groupings in our society. While observing people I realized that material culture has heavily impacted the way people come together. A prominent piece of material culture that has been valued in our society and has lead people to become one is fashion brands. I discovered that clothing brands were a recurrent theme in specific friend groups. A few of the major brands that were very noticeable included Nike, Birkenstocks, and Vans. I noticed that in each social groupings, these specific fashion brands would exist. For example, as a group of boys walked passed me I discovered they were all wearing Nike sneakers, Nike socks pulled up, and a snapback of a similar brand. This allowed me to realize that certain brands become the accepted norm among a group of people, and affects the way that friends connect with each other. …show more content…
When a group would pass me I would notice that not one person would be wearing Birkenstocks or Vans, at least two members of the group, or sometimes all would be wearing the same exact shoes or brand of shoes. Throughout this college campus, students tend to be caught in the noticeable patterns of fashion and trends. The values that people place on these clothing brands is seen throughout friendships because when one person gets a certain item, the rest eventually succumb to those brands as well.
The discoveries I made proved the idea that material culture shapes non-material culture. In our society brands allow people to feel a certain connection to those around them. It enables people to shape their thoughts about one another, and feel a certain acceptance from those around them. Brands including Nike, Birkenstocks, and Vans displayed ways in which people mark their social groupings, and how superficial relationships can be provoked as a result of