Cultural artifact

Cultural artifact (or social artifact) is a term used in the social sciences, particularly anthropology,^[1] ethnology,^[2] and sociology for anything created by humans which gives information about the culture of its creator and users. Usage of this term encompasses the type of archaeological artifact which is recovered at archaeological sites; however, current objects of modern or near-modern society are also cultural artifacts. For example, in an anthropological context, a 17th-century lathe, a piece of faience, or a television each provide a wealth of information about the time in which they were manufactured and used. Cultural artifacts can provide knowledge about technological processes, economy and social makeup, and a host of other subjects.

The philosopher Marx W. Wartofsky distinguished several types of artifacts:^[3]

primary artifacts, which are used in production (e.g., a hammer, a fork, a lamp, a camera, etc.)
secondary artifacts, which are representations of primary artifacts (e.g., a user manual for a camera)
tertiary artifacts, which are representations of secondary artifacts

Social artifacts, unlike archeological artifacts, do not have to have a physical form (see for example virtual artifact), nor do they have to be of historical value (items created seconds ago can be classified as social artifacts).

References

↑ Richard J. Watts (1981). The pragmalinguistic analysis of narrative texts. Gunter Narr Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87808-443-3.
↑ Rob Amery. Warrabarna Kaurna!.
↑ Wartofsky, Marx W. (1979). Models: Representation and scientific understanding. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Reidel.

External links

Artifact entry by Risto Hilpinen in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Culture

Outline

Sciences	Anthropology Cultural ecology Cultural neuroscience Cultural studies Culturology Culture theory

Subfields	Cultural anthropology Cultural economics Cultural geography Cultural history Cultural psychology Intercultural relations Philosophy of culture Semiotics of culture Sociology of culture Theology of culture Sound culture Visual culture

Types	Bullying culture Dominant culture Folk culture High culture Low culture Official culture Political culture Popular culture Primitive culture Subculture list Super-culture Culture by location

Aspects	Acculturation Cultural appropriation Cultural artifact Cultural baggage Cultural behavior Cultural capital Cultural communication Cultural conflict Cultural cringe Cultural deprivation Cultural dissonance Cultural framework Cultural heritage Cultural icon Cultural identity Cultural invention Cultural landscape Cultural memory Cultural pluralism Cultural practice Cultural property Cultural region Cultural reproduction Cultural system Cultural universal Enculturation High- and low-context cultures Interculturality Material culture Non-material culture Trans-cultural diffusion Transculturation

Politics	Colonial mentality Consumer capitalism Cultural assimilation Cultural attaché Cultural backwardness Cultural Bolshevism Cultural conservatism Cultural diplomacy Cultural exception Cultural feminism Cultural genocide Cultural hegemony Cultural imperialism Cultural intelligence Cultural learning Cultural liberalism Cultural nationalism Cultural pessimism Cultural policy Cultural rights Cultural Zionism Culture change Culture minister Culture war Interculturalism Monoculturalism Multiculturalism

Related	Bennett scale Conformity Cross-cultural Cultural bias Cultural competence Cultural critic Cultural diversity Cultural lag Cultural mosaic Cultural movement Cultural relativism Cultural revolution Cultural tourism Cultural turn Cultural sensibility Culture gap Culture hero Culture industry Culture shock Death and culture Emotions and culture Intercultural competence Media culture Organizational culture Transformation of culture

Portal Category changes

Visual arts and the art world

Artwork	Conceptual art Cultural artifact Fine art Plastic arts Public art

Roles	Artist Critic Curator Conservator-restorer Dealer

Places Events	Art auction Art exhibition Art gallery / museum (contemporary) Arts centre Arts festival Artist cooperative Artist-in-residence program Artist-run initiative Artist-run space Biennale Commission Virtual museum

History of art	Art history (academic study) Criticism

Related topics	The arts Economics of art / arts and literature / culture Conservation-restoration Cultural policy Sociology of art

Lists	Artistic media Contemporary artists Painters Photographers Sculptors

Cultural artifact

See also

References

Further reading

External links