Social Life as a Response to Living, Essay Example

Cultural materialism is an anthropological theory.  It is based on the assumption that human societies develop in response to the issues that are inherent in the struggle of living.  It is grounded in scientific theory and contests that culture is based in the human response to problems as opposed to abstract metaphysical notions or ideas based on religion or metaphysics.

While I partially agree with this, I don’t think that the only thing effecting the shape of society is the material world.  Ideas, too, can shape the form and direction that different cultures can take.  Although culture is, in part, a response to the physical environment, there seem to be other factors at work.  While cultural materialism denies that ideals play a role in society, it seems that they have, at least in some part, a role to play.

While the physical world can have an impact upon society, ideas, in various ways, can also effect it.  Not only can ideas shape the dreams and aspirations of the people who make up a society, but they also effect the modes and form of artistic expression that the society wishes to represent.  In this way societies are rooted in the traditions of their past as well.  What seems to make sense is a balance between complete materialism and immaterialism, or the idea that society is essentially derived from religious or spiritual belief.  “Idealism can be understood as reconciling, harmonizing, or integrating Materialism and Immaterialism”  (Uebersax, p. 2)

References

Uebersax, John S. (2013). What is Materialism? What is Idealism? Californians for Higher Education Reform, Paso Robles, California. 1-19.