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Material Culture

  • In: Encyclopedia of Identity
  • Edited by: Ronald L. Jackson II & Michael A. Hogg
  • Subject:Self & Identity, Identity, Self & Identity

Material culture consists of the material things people make and use. Sometimes examples are called artifacts. Their material aspect is concrete or manifest physically in ways we can perceive through our senses. Their cultural aspect indicates material culture is an integral part of a way of life. Material culture embodies and also gives rise to consciousness, ideas, and spirituality—factors that contribute to one's identity. A major focus of contemporary material culture studies is everyday life and lived ...

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