ARCTIC Clothing in the Arctic: A Means of Protection, a Statement of Identity
ABSTRACT. The interest in clothing as a powerful item for cultural inquiry has recently increased among anthropologists. This has to do with its dual connection to habitat and cultural identify, allowing for ecological as well as symbolic analysis. The identification of contexts in which identity is...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1990
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.484.8518 http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic45-1-62.pdf |
| Summary: | ABSTRACT. The interest in clothing as a powerful item for cultural inquiry has recently increased among anthropologists. This has to do with its dual connection to habitat and cultural identify, allowing for ecological as well as symbolic analysis. The identification of contexts in which identity is communicated by means of clothing is considered an additional dimension to the study of clothing proper. Clothing is viewed as the most efficient means of non-verbal communication f cultural identity as well as culture-specific values and standards. The communicative power of clothing is especially salient in various inter-ethnic contexts. Referring to the S h i in northem Fennoscandia, cloth-ing appears as an effective ethnic marker. At the same time the vitality of clothing as a material object is evident. Key words: clothing, ethnicity, S h i RÉSUMÉ. Demibrement, les anthropologues ont port6 un int6rêt de plus en plus marqut pour le vêtement en tant qu’article important dans I’investi-gation culturelle. Cela est dû au double rapport du vêtement B la fois avec l’habitat et avec l’identité culturelle, ce qui permet une analyse kologique ainsi qu’une analyse symbolique. L’identification des contextes dans lesquels I’identit6 est transmise par le biais du vêtement est vue comme une dimension supplémentaire B 1’6tude du vêtement lui-même. On perçoit le vêtement comme le moyen le plus efficace de communiquer non verbale-ment l’identité culturelle ainsi que les valeurs et normes sp6cifiques B une culture donn6e. La force communicative du vêtement se fait particulibrement remarquer dans divers contextes interethniques. En ce qui concerne les Samits de la Fennoscandie seDtentrionale, le vêtement apparaît comme une marque ethnique efficace. En même temps ressort la vitalit6 du vêtement en tant qu’objet matériel. |
|---|