October 21
** Midterm Examination **

Practice Question: Jules Prown notes that "[t]he term material culture [...] refers quite directly and efficiently, if not elegantly, both to the subject matter of the study, material, and to its purpose, the understanding of culture." And he continues that the term seems self- contradictory: "Material is a word we associate with base and pragmatic things; culture is a word we associate with lofty, intellectual, abstract things." (70) As we have been studying gravestones and furniture, we repeatedly noticed the two-fold dimension of studying material culture: its utilitarian value and its cultural value. Referring to specific examples, please explain these two dimensions, comment on the interconnections and relationships between them, and show what we can learn from studying material culture with respect to their function and style. Good Luck on the Midterm!