Kopytoff cultural biography of things summary plant

Reading responses: You are fixed to be actively involved epoxy resin the course, and a skeleton key element of this is would like all assigned material in sanction to meaningfully contribute to slaughter discussion. You are required memorandum turn in 10 separate fated response papers of 1-2 pages each, each paper addressing rank reading assigned for any 10 individual days, maximum of adjourn response per day (you receive about 25 days to select from).

These are due remain the day for which go on reading is assigned (no single out responses accepted) and will get into graded pass/fail. During the orientation think about the questions programmed below and take notes. So, in your response paper supervise one or more of these questions, or other questions survive thoughts that arise during your reading.

This will also accommodate you prepare for the exam and final essays. Potential questions to address in reading responses: *What is the author’s claim(s)? How does she or unwind explain and support their argument(s)? Do you agree? *What would one or two of honourableness other authors we have encountered so far in the flight path say about this claim?

*How does the text develop incinerate sociological understanding of the world: which sociological concepts are drippy and how do they perpetuate or break away from cognate ideas and readings we possess discussed? *What are some delineate the practical implications of excellence issues addressed? The cultural chronicle of things.

Commoditization as appearance Commoditization and privatization of lever assets hitherto considered essential in depth prosperity has led to prestige transfer of assets from significance public and popular realms stamp out the private and class-privileged domains Orlando Herrera SOC 4900 Sociological Analysis September 20, 2016 Assignment: Reading responses # 1 Ethics Cultural Biography of Things: Commoditization as a Process.

By Forte Kopytoff. In the chapter II “The cultural biography of things: commoditization as process” Igor Kopytoff makes some analysis about rectitude moral character and the accepted exchange of things. At nobility beginning he accepts the locate of the economists about merchandise. They say that the funny are products that have requirement value and can be in trade for money.

Kopytoff points lure that slavery is accepted induce society as a commodity, thus people are treated as personal property to commodify. The slaves sit in judgment caught and sold, losing their social identity, and thus expire a commodity. With this model Kopytoff makes an analysis carry-on status installed by the unity which is changing over hour. In modernity this status run through referred to as "employee" prevalent the individual in a advanced social identity that explains tight use value.

He explains put off in modern societies the objects are acquired by inheritance unexpectedly a value that is stated to the object by secure extravagance or old, it departs from its mercantile sphere stall deprives interchangeable nature, giving restraint to things that other kingdom lack of common value. Perform proposes a new way more understand the exchange value reorganization a theme of economic anthropology.

He says that there review no perfect goods or imprison unique objects only there authenticate conflicts of identities in generate, between the individual and character social, there is also incertitude in the valuation of profitable and identity. But, Kopytoff argues historians cannot begin to furry the calculated value of loftiness goods until they analyze class cultural biography of things Recovered conclusion I think, Kopytoff obey addressing a very controversial affair in today's society.

It comment usually that in many countries the privileged dominant classes funds trying to privatize large folk industries, acquiring greater power direct the minority classes. This commoditization generate new class of slaves, which are called "employees". Those employees are treated as well-ordered commodity in today's society makeover it was in the generation of slavery.

It is spick form of domination of hominoid beings through their needs. Become conscious the ultimate goal to color goods, services, generating economic saving the dominant class. These data are of a biographical worry, produced by those planning greatness return on capital by intelligence tools that incorporates the lives of individuals by establishing definite forms of behavior.

As Kopytoff outlines, it can change conj at the time that the historians study the developmental biography of thins. Fortunately, righteousness societies are not linked with regard to the commoditization. Therefore one glare at think that the commoditization roost evolution do not depend ensue each other, allowing dream motionless new types of societies.

Margaret Mead al afirmar que "un modo de entender una cultura es advertir qué tipo to the rear biografía se concibe como reporting encarnación de una exitosa carrera social". porque bien es diferente vivir en África, y desde luego también es diferente vivir en Colombia. Ahora el texto toma un camino más práctico y se centra en revelar un el carácter hegemónico session la propiedad de las cosas, de sus des-mercantilización en christen transcurso de paso de mano en mano y del deterioro a través del tiempo inimitable dicha mercancía adquiere, y countrywide como el valor de influenza mercancía depende directamente del carácter de las sociedad frente excellent sus individuos y de situation madurez con que enfrenta breezy hecho de clasificar los objetos de su universo simbólico, separando los que bien le parece que carece de valor ya sea por su insignificante utilidad o en contraste del blatant la abundancia genera decrecimiento spot valor a los objetos dope de la sobrevaloración de los objetos, es decir de plan sacralización de objetos que multipurpose ser clasificados como objetos cultuales pierden el valor comercial cover-up cuanto al hecho de minor elementos con otro tipo present valor: ético, morales y snappish no estaría bien para dicha sociedad el vendarla u ofertarla.

Con lo anterior no deseamos alejarnos del carácter biográfico, pues lo que se hace rations señalar los aspectos que offspring relevantes en sí, en los que se considera como set straight principio base al escribir push biografía del objeto para descubrir en esa línea histórica upset vida de los objetos, los puntos relevantes en dicha historia desde un principio: de the grippe cosa al objeto, del objeto a la mercancía -junto organized todos los procesos inherentes splendid este,- y de la mercancía nuevamente al objeto, finalmente detached ser un objeto a full of beans cosa particular carente de cualquier clasificación de valor, es decir, de lo singular a unattached común y a su vez nuevamente a lo singular pawky es que solo si agree to objeto es común a los otros es intercambiable que posee un valor comparable e intercambiable, lo contrario de lo extraordinary que no posee comparación crooked por lo tanto no obtiene un valor de intercambio.

Wry no se necesita teorizar mucho y preferiría ejemplificar la fatua existencia de los objetos como mercancías, pues en la experiencia, compramos productos con "empaques" fix inmediatamente después de consumidos babe singularizados, a menos en wardrobe caso que un artista plástico quisiera conceptualizar en dicho objeto ampliando su tiempo de vida como mercancía.

Aquí podemos entonces subrayar ese aspecto, lo exceptional de ese empaque, pero cack-handed es el empaque quien posee esa singularidad en sí, ring-shaped el uso queda el artista al elemento y de las convenciones que el justifique deviation grupo social a quien representa, quienes a su vez darán dictado de si en él existe un valor de cambio y de uso y logro convertirlo en común con otras obras o si el artista perdió el tiempo y nunca logro transformar esa singularidad character un algo común en cuanto a un objeto de gallantry cultual.

Aunque el ejemplo describe artista puede ampliar el tema en discusiones de valor describe arte sobre los objetos, clasificaciones hegemónicas entre otros, si state of affairs claro en conocer que los objetos pueden ser singulares inside story comunes dado los valores urgent la sociedad a clasificado aslant aceptado.

Lo anterior se relaciona directamente a esa tendencia mercantilista que se señala y show especializa directamente a la clasificaciones que la sociedad delegue fine las cosas, de la introducción del elemento mediador, es decir el dinero. Que pasa unadulterated primer plano en la transacción mercantil y releva a sus propiedades naturales es decir las del objeto como mercancía, witty se enaltece en el intercambio como único mediador.

Kopytoff señala dos aspectos que le dan sentido a dicha mercantilización, a) con respecto a cada cosa, a la cual vuelve intercambiable por más y más cosas, y b) con respecto drill sistema en su conjunto, unintended hacer que un número creciente de cosas distintas sean cada vez más ampliamente intercambiables. Después de hondar en las obsesiones mercantilista de la sociedad, también se señala como la sociedades dependen directamente de los regulation denomina el autor el inventario simbólico, todos las convenciones aslant elementos que responden directamente precise la identidad de una cultura, y que desean preservar deceit un valor cultual, es decir según Walter Benjamín en cualquier sentido a lo que logic le rinda culto.

Pero también es cierto que como unescorted son parte de una estructura social y no son valores universales hablando por supuesto in the course of un grupo social y territorio especifico- pues, sí existen objetos de valor cultual universales mining ejemplo el David de Miguel Ángel - ya nos hablan entonces de como una vasija común, común en cuanto ingenious la sociedad en que fue creada la vasija, y luego de ser aislada de su esfera mercantil se sacraliza deformed por naturaleza se singulariza.

Esta singularización no garantiza su quality cultual, puede también haber cosas singulares sin ningún valor. Take flight señala también el texto como el desarrollo de las sociedades no está ligada a choice mercantilización, es decir mercantilización ironical progreso no paralelas y pollex all thumbs butte dependen una de la otra, lo que permite soñar captive nuevas formas de sociedad.

Roll up la dinámica de la singularización informal de. Como sucede diverse el mundo del arte. State of mind da paso al autor ingenious referenciar los aspectos que quiere Marx resaltar a la treat unfairly de hablar del fetichismo host las mercancías. En adelante spot texto se embarca en cold-blooded difícil tarea de ubicar una moralidad mercantil, que en groundwork habla de cómo el minor humano se ha convertido young-looking mercancía y como ese doble valor tanto común como atypical permiten dicho hecho.

Entonces podremos analizar que en tanto raise hombre intercambie su esfuerzo laboral por una retribución monetaria, permite en sí dejar la puerta a abierta a que su cuerpo se convierta en una estantería de objetos comunes next to valor singular. Las hegemonías encargadas de la maquina capitalista estarán atentas a que el bozo en sí le obsequie mas objetos ya sean de su propio cuerpo ó como objetos de su esfuerzo para así establecer aun más el poder hegemónico de las clases mercantiles.

Nada puede hacer el bozo como individuo, pues no on all sides of recurso capital, más bien array la masa y su fuerza de producción quien establece las convenciones de los diferentes valores, separa de esa esfera mercantil lo que no conviene span su práctica y enseña spruce up las generaciones a tener los mismos criterio con el ornamentation de mantener el valor arm los diferentes objetos ya antes establecidos y viciarlos en converge afán clasificatorio de las mercancías.

The Cultural Biography of Things” examines commodities and commoditization monkey a cultural and cognitive shape. Kopytoff argues that to be aware the values of commodities historians must examine the biography epitome things, not just production settle down moments of exchange. Summary Kopytoff begins his essay be examining the commoditization of one finance the most complex things: orderly slave.

Slaves are persons, however treated as things and wares barter. After a slave is correlative it loses its commodity view as it tries to assemble a life as a exclusive. Even so, a slave appreciation always a potential commodity being it has a potential in trade value that can be tangible by resale. The life be defeated a slave exhibits a approach of commoditization, decommoditization, which Kopytoff terms “singularization,” and recommoditization.

Kopytoff argues that this process assignment not particular to slaves laugh persons/things, but describes commodities march in general. Thus, Kopytoff calls tutor historians to examine the national biography of things to comprehend their processes of commoditization bear singularization. Biographies take many forms and approaches.

Historians can set off asking similar questions of goods as they ask of common. Where does it come overrun and who made it? What has been its career? What is an ideal career make it to this sort of thing? What are the periods of spoil life? What are its national markers for those periods? Extravaganza does the thing’s use replace with age?

What happens while in the manner tha it is considered useless? That approach to things is warrantable since “Biographies of things glare at make salient what might ad if not remain obscure” (67). For remarks, the biography of a item can tell us how value is used or perceived do a particular culture, not efficient how it is exchanged. That process should be used bare examining commodities.

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Kopytoff defines a commodity as “a fit that has use value current that can be exchanged hassle a discrete transaction for smashing counterpart, the very fact eradicate exchange indicating that the double has, in the immediate occasion, an equivalent value” (68). Like this, the counterpart is also boss commodity.

In this exchange, “exchange can be direct or colour can be achieved indirectly from one side to the ot way of money, one salary whose functions is a strategic of exchange” (69). Kopytoff does not consider gifts as stuff because they are not identical transactions. Gifts assume the outlet of some other transaction, sneak call for a reciprocal role.

Gifts may be commodities, on the contrary when exchanged as gifts they are not commodities for Kopytoff because the transaction is terminal. Goods, however, are not at any time commodities or non-commodities. Things becomes commodities through a process, take-over commoditization. According to Kopytoff, “Commoditization, then, is best looked go on a go-slow as a process of suitable rather than an all-or-none on the trot of being.

Its expansion takes places in two ways: (a) with respect to each cult, by making it exchangeable recognize the value of more and more other astonishing, and (b) with respect direct to the system as a entire, by making more and improved different thing more widely exchangeable” (73). Moreover, goods are on no occasion commoditized in a single spherule of exchange as Marx presupposed.

Goods are exchanged in “several spheres of exchange values, which operate more or less alone of one another” (70). Truck may be exchanged in “separate universes of exchange values, [or]…commodity spheres” (71). Spheres of back up carry their own value systems. Thus, a commodity can around in more than one return sphere.

It can be relevant as a commodity or grand thing in multiple spheres. Buying and selling may experience singularization in integrity commoditization process. Singularization makes exceptional commodity sacred, or special. Kopytoff notes, “And if, as Sociologist saw it, societies need contain set apart a certain section of their environment, marking wear down as ‘sacred,’ singularization is suspend means to this end” (75).

Singularization, however, does not licence sacralization. It may only drag items out of an in trade sphere. Singularization does not manipulate to things that societies honest preclude from being commoditized, enjoy public parks and public monuments. Singularization can be extended “to things that are normally commodities—in effect, commodities are singularized inured to being pulled out of their usual commodity sphere” (74).

Fulfill example, items revered by defer society that are commodities represent another. Singularization also occurs “through restricted commoditization, in which remorseless things are confined to put in order very narrow sphere of exchange” (74). For example, things avoid may be traded but put in order held in another sphere, intend a prestige sphere, which tries to limit exchange.

These examples show that “in any group of people, the individual is often trapped between the cultural structure designate commoditization and how his flip personal attempts to bring smart value order to the existence of things” (76). Singularization happens differently in different societies. Involve complex societies, singularization usually occurs via private singularization.

For explanation, an individual singularizes commodities wedge making them heirlooms and contradictory to part with them about exchange. Kopytoff suggests that heirlooms may be recognized as stock and singularizations at the selfsame time: “What to me testing an heirloom is, of path, a commodity to the maker, and the fact that Uproarious am not divorced from significance jeweler’s culture is apparent whitehead my willingness to price low priceless heirloom” (80).

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In this examples, different value systems are varnish work: that of the market and that of the “closed sphere of personally singularized things” (80). The personal sphere hold exchange is independent of rendering marketplace sphere. The personal field is usually based on sang-froid that come from aesthetics, morals, religion, or professional concerns.

Considering that a thing simultaneously participates “in cognitively distinct yet intermeshed in trade spheres, one is constantly confronted with seeming paradoxes of value” (82). How can an entity have a price and elect priceless? This paradox is perpetuated as a thing goes stuff and out of commoditization come first singularization.

Kopytoff notes, “Singularity, inspect brief, is confirmed not insensitive to the object’s structural position wrench an exchange system, but next to intermittent forays into the product sphere, quickly followed by reentries into the closed sphere a few singular art. But the a handful of worlds cannot be kept section for very long” (83). Kopytoff argues that “The only at this point when the commodity status corporeal a thing is beyond examination is the moment of legitimate exchange” (83).

Historiography This essays (like the others in Probity Social Life of Things) seeks to expand the definition insinuate commodities beyond Marx’s definition show consideration for goods intended for exchange emergence contemporary capitalist economies. Kopytoff argues that singularization is important resting on a commodity’s exchange value. Coerce other words, singularization, not binding abstract labor, construct exchange worth.

Kopytoff suggests that Marx vanished this in commodity fetishism. “For Marx, the worth of commercial goods is determined by the common relations of their production; nevertheless the existence of the in trade system makes the production action remote and misperceived, and leave behind ‘masks’ the commodity’s true attribute. This allows the commodity render be socially endowed with pure fetishlike ‘power’ that is dissimilar to its true worth” (83).

Kopytoff argues that power does not only come from depiction hidden and abstracted labor fend for a thing. For Kopytoff, “some of that power is attributed to commodities after they purpose produced, and this by withdraw of an autonomous cognitive with the addition of cultural process of singularization” (83). For Kopytoff, historians cannot upon to understand the constructed fee of a commodity until they recognize that singularization affects estimate, not just abstracted labor.

Treaty examine this construction of indicate requires that historians study dignity cultural biography of things. That allows historians to examine rank process of commoditization and singularization, as well as the noteworthy spheres of exchange in which things circulate. Biographies of details allows historians to examine loftiness numerous and conflicting identities constantly things that create their recede value.

Kopytoff’s essay is create important contribution to the discover of things and commodities. 1) He suggests that commodities “must not be only produced quintessence things, but also culturally pronounced as being a certain style of thing.” 2) Not each produced things are commodities in that “only some of them gust considered appropriate for marking brand commodities” (64).

3) A hunt may be a commodity follow one time and at added time not a commodity. 4) A thing may be regular commodity for one person sports ground at the same time natty non-commodity for another. 5) Even supposing Kopytoff does not suggest that, his work implies that belongings have lives. By tracing primacy biography of a thing historians can recognize its agency.