Cultural practice

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Cultural practice is the manifestation of a culture or sub-culture, especially in regard to the traditional and customary practices of a particular ethnic or other cultural groups.

Contents

The term is gaining in importance due to the increased controversy over "rights of cultural practice", which are protected in many jurisdictions for indigenous peoples [1] and sometimes ethnic minorities. It is also a major component of the field of cultural studies, and is a primary focus of international works such as the United Nations declaration of the rights of indigenous Peoples. [2]

Cultural practice is also a subject of discussion in questions of cultural survival. [3] If an ethnic group retains its formal ethnic identity but loses its core cultural practices or the knowledge, resources, or ability to continue them, questions arise as to whether the culture is able to actually survive at all. International bodies such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues continually work on these issues, which are increasingly at the forefront of globalization questions. [4]

Examples

Qualifications

The real question of what qualifies as a legitimate cultural practice is the subject of much legal and ethnic community debate. The question arises in controversial subject areas such as genital mutilation, indigenous hunting [5] and gathering practices, [6] and the question of licensing of traditional medical practitioners. [7] [8] [9]

Many traditional cultures acknowledge members outside of their ethnicity as cultural practitioners, but only under special circumstances. Generally, the knowledge or title must be passed in a traditional way, such as family knowledge shared through adoption, or through a master of that practice choosing a particular student who shows qualities desired for that practice, and teaching that student in a hands-on manner, in which they are able to absorb the core values and belief systems of the culture. The degree to which these non-ethnic practitioners are able to exercise "customary and traditional" rights, and the degree to which their practice is acknowledged as valid, is often a subject of considerable debate among indigenous and other ethnic communities, [10] and sometimes with the legal systems under which these communities function. The difference between bona fide non-native cultural practitioners and cultural piracy, or cultural appropriation, [11] is a major issue within the study of globalization [12] and modernization. [13]

Evolution of culture

The evolution of traditional cultures is a subject of much discussion in legal, scholarly, and community forums. [14] It is generally accepted that all cultures are to some degree in a continual state of sociocultural evolution. However, major questions surround the legitimacy of newly evolved cultural expressions, especially when these are influenced by modernization or by the influence of other cultures.

Also, there is significant debate surrounding the source of evolution: for example, an indigenous community may accept the use of store-bought materials in the creation of traditional arts, but may reject requirements to apply for a permit for certain gathering purposes; the central difference being that one is an internal cultural evolution, while the other is externally driven[ citation needed ] by the society or legal body that surrounds the culture.

Related Research Articles

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There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territory, and an experience of subjugation and discrimination under a dominant cultural model.

A legal custom is the established pattern of behavior that can be objectively verified within a particular social setting. A claim can be carried out in defense of "what has always been done and accepted by law".

Medical anthropology studies "human health and disease, health care systems, and biocultural adaptation". It views humans from multidimensional and ecological perspectives. It is one of the most highly developed areas of anthropology and applied anthropology, and is a subfield of social and cultural anthropology that examines the ways in which culture and society are organized around or influenced by issues of health, health care and related issues.

Interculturalism is a political movement that supports cross-cultural dialogue and challenging self-segregation tendencies within cultures. Interculturalism involves moving beyond mere passive acceptance of multiple cultures existing in a society and instead promotes dialogue and interaction between cultures. Interculturalism is often used to describe the set of relations between indigenous and western ideals, grounded in values of mutual respect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethnobiology</span> Study of how living things are used by human cultures

Ethnobiology is the scientific study of the way living things are treated or used by different human cultures. It studies the dynamic relationships between people, biota, and environments, from the distant past to the immediate present.

Traditional knowledge (TK), indigenous knowledge (IK), folk knowledge, and local knowledge generally refer to knowledge systems embedded in the cultural traditions of regional, indigenous, or local communities.

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Plastic shamans, or plastic medicine people, is a pejorative colloquialism applied to individuals who are attempting to pass themselves off as shamans, holy people, or other traditional spiritual leaders, but who have no genuine connection to the traditions or cultures they claim to represent. In some cases, the "plastic shaman" may have some genuine cultural connection, but is seen to be exploiting that knowledge for ego, power, or money.

Indigenous decolonization describes ongoing theoretical and political processes whose goal is to contest and reframe narratives about indigenous community histories and the effects of colonial expansion, cultural assimilation, exploitative Western research, and often though not inherent, genocide. Indigenous people engaged in decolonization work adopt a critical stance towards western-centric research practices and discourse and seek to reposition knowledge within Indigenous cultural practices.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigenous intellectual property</span> Intellectual property of Indigenous peoples

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigenous archaeology</span> Sub-discipline of western archaeological theory

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South African customary law refers to a usually uncodified legal system developed and practised by the indigenous communities of South Africa. Customary law has been defined as

an established system of immemorial rules evolved from the way of life and natural wants of the people, the general context of which was a matter of common knowledge, coupled with precedents applying to special cases, which were retained in the memories of the chief and his councilors, their sons and their sons' sons until forgotten, or until they became part of the immemorial rules.

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Indigenous feminism is an intersectional theory and practice of feminism that focuses on decolonization, Indigenous sovereignty, and human rights for Indigenous women and their families. The focus is to empower Indigenous women in the context of Indigenous cultural values and priorities, rather than mainstream, white, patriarchal ones. In this cultural perspective, it can be compared to womanism in the African-American communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change and Indigenous peoples</span> Description of how climate change disproportionately impacts indigenous peoples around the world

Climate change and Indigenous peoples describes how climate change disproportionately impacts Indigenous peoples around the world when compared to non-indigenous peoples. These impacts are particularly felt in relation to health, environments, and communities. Some indigenous scholars of climate change argue that these disproportionately felt impacts are linked to ongoing forms of colonialism. Indigenous peoples found throughout the world have strategies and traditional knowledge to adapt to climate change. These knowledge systems can be beneficial for their own community's adaptation to climate change as expressions of self-determination as well as to non-Indigenous communities.

References

  1. ↑ "Cultural Practices in Conflict with Canadian Law". nizkor.org. Archived from the original on 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  2. ↑ "United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-11.
  3. ↑ "oneFish Community Knowledge Directory". www.onefish.org. 27 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27.
  4. ↑ Robertson, Roland (1 January 2003). Roland Robertson; Kathleen E. White (eds.). Globalization: Culture and identity. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   9780415236911 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Canada, Global Affairs; Canada, Affaires mondiales (26 June 2013). "Global Affairs Canada". Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  6. ↑ Orebech, Peter (1 January 2005). The Role of Customary Law in Sustainable Development. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   9780521859257 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ Wang, Conrad (Fall 1996). "Traditional Chinese Medicine in Chinese-American Communities". www.camsociety.org. Archived from the original on 2000-10-21.
  8. ↑ Romero-Daza, Nancy (September 2002). "Traditional Medicine in Africa" (PDF). The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 583 (1): 173–176. doi:10.1177/000271620258300111. S2CID   146286646.
  9. ↑ Dauskardt, Rolf P. A. (1990). "The changing geography of traditional medicine: Urban herbalism on the Witwatersrand, South Africa". GeoJournal. 22 (3): 275–283. doi:10.1007/BF00192826. S2CID   189890335.
  10. ↑ "Yahoo - 400 Bad Request". Archived from the original on 2020-05-11. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
  11. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". earthcall.org. Archived from the original on 2005-09-03.
  12. ↑ Koopman, Jerzy (2003). "Biotechnology, Patent Law and Piracy". Electronic Journal of Comparative Law. 7 (5).
  13. ↑ "indigenous cultures". Caslon Analytics. Archived from the original on 2014-02-13.
  14. ↑ "Earthdance: Chapter 20 - The Indigenous Way". Archived from the original on 2007-09-05. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
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