Early Culture Concepts

-assignment 1Dimitrije Vasiljevic

In order to show how some of the notable anthropologists
theories of culture influenced Alan Merriams definition of the field of
ethnomusicology, lets first take a look at some of the aspects of their
work.
Edward Burnett Tylor believed that all the humans on the earth
have similar thinking processes and therefore all the worlds
civilizations and cultures have been developing similarly to each other.
This, so-called doctrine of the psychic unity of mankind, supports his
ideas of cognitive evolution. He said that progress, degradation,
survival, revival, modification are all modes of the connection that
binds together the complex network of civilization. From this
statement, another of his important ideas can be seen and that is the
concept of continuity in culture. Tylor believed that culture is not an
invention or a standalone phenomenon of a certain point in time, but
rather a continual complex of arts, beliefs, knowledge, habits,
language and similar elements that develop over time and through
practice among a certain ethnic group.
Kroeber had a similar stance in terms of claiming that culture is a
developmental continuum in time and space and that it is a synonym
to the word civilization. He also discussed about cultures openness
and receptivity by handing-through from one generation to the other.
His concept of culture being viewed as superorganic and
superindividual shows that he took culture for a phenomenon larger
than any individual who is a part of it. Furthermore, although culture is
of organic nature, it is more than that, it goes beyond that and takes
shape of an individual self-preserving and ever-evolving entity.
On the other hand, Ruth Benedict said that culturesare more
than the sum of their traits. By saying that she meant that even
though one could know all about the individual element of a certain
culture, it doesnt mean he will automatically understand that culture
as a whole and its deeper meaning. It is necessary to dig deeper and
explore the background of the motives and emotions and values that
are institutionalized in that culture. She also developed a term
cultures (first developed by Boas) instead of only a culture (without s),
which further develops the idea of the impact of different cultures on
the individual.
Boas held the position that all cultures are equal and comparable
to each other. He believed that race cannot be associated with any
specific culture since there are so many cultures among world races
that the possible relation would be insignificant.

All of these anthropological concepts of culture certainly had a

huge impact on Merriams statements about the definition of the field
of Ethnomusicology. Firstly, he said that ethnomusicology is the study
of music in culture. It is clearly seen here that he is aware of the
cultural aspect of studying ethnomusicology and that the ethnological
part of it is equally important to him as well as music theory and
practical part. Another of his ideas, and that is a fight against
ethnocentrism looks like it was influenced by Tylors doctrine of the
psychic unity of the mankind. In other words Merriam believes in the
idea that all the cultures are equally important and worthy of exploring
and that they are not to be considered lesser cultures when compared
to the Western cultures and its art.
Furthermore, Merriam said that the examination of music is just
one important technique of ethnomusicology. The other important
technique is the human behavior, which is a prerequisite for producing
that music. This concept goes hand in hand with Ruth Benedicts belief
that cultures represent more than the sum of their own elements and
that the exploration and understanding of its deeper layers is needed
in order for it to be fully understood.
What Merriam has acquired from Kroeber seems to be the
concept of openness and receptivity by handing-through from one
generation to the other. This concept of culture is applied to
ethnomusicology and the music it discovers and explores. The native
music of various cultures was usually kept in this way for centuries.
Without the influence from the anthropological concepts of
culture, ethnomusicology would surely be more focused on its musical
part (sounds, scales, music theory) and less, if at all, on ethnographical
and ethnological aspect. Therefore, an entire dimension of the purpose
of ethnomusicology, and that is the opportunity for gaining a better
knowledge about various civilizations and their cultures through their
music, would stay hidden and unused.
The article Birdsong and a Song about a Bird: Popular Music and
the Mediation of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Northeastern
Brazil by Michael B. Silvers1 is a good example of the two aspects of
the application of several techniques of ethnomusicology. First, Luis
Gonzagas music and lyrics were musically analyzed and explained,
then their relation to the people of Ceara, a Northeastern Brazillian
state was inspected and then finally discovered the strange connection
between this music that was assessed as a highly popular and
commercial with the local rain prophets. If it wasnt for the
comprehensive nature of ethnomusicology, this important cultural
1 Michael B. Silvers. (2015). Birdsong and a Song about a Bird: Popular
Music and the Mediation of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in
Northeastern Brazil. Ethnomusicology (Volume 59, no. 3). (Urbana:
University of Illinois Press)

phenomenon would never be explored for ethnomusicology would

focus only on the musical side of Gonzagas songs and probably its
popularity in the area. The ethnological and cultural part of it would be
neglected. However, by following the tracks of this highly popular
singer of mid-twenties, ethnomusicologist found out this cultural
question of why this music was sang by the rain prophets and opened
the entire new dimension of cultural connections that were worthy of
the research.