Anthropology - Culture According to White's "Energy Essay

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Anthropology - Culture

According to White's "Energy and the Evolution of Culture," culture is a multifaceted dynamic which operates on a few different levels. Quite literally, the author proposes the notion that there are three primary facets of culture and its expression. These are the technological, sociological, and the ideological parts of culture. However, the writer makes a point of noting that despite the fact that these different modes of culture are interrelated and both act upon and react to the forces of one another, they do not do so equally. White believes that the technological aspect of culture is the most dominant one, and effectively asserts its influence on the other two realms the most. Consequently, the author believes that culture evolves in accordance to technology and the technological aspect of culture.

Essentially, culture evolves because of technology's effect upon it. At the core of this notion advocated by White is the reality of what technology ultimately enables man to do. White, like many in Western society, believes that culture is a way for man to take care of his "animal" qualities -- his basic necessities such as feeding, clothing, and sheltering himself.

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Additionally, he believes that technology enables man to protect himself, as though there is no other way to live than to constantly endanger and have the need to fear others. Both of the other areas of culture (the ideological and the social) are impacted by technology and reflect technology's influence.

Thus, as technology refines itself and progresses, culture allegedly does as well. For instance, the fact that once horses were the main mode of transportation and are now replaced by cars (which are considered a technological advancement) is indicative of an evolution of culture. That evolution is considered better than the previous manifestation of culture supposedly because it allows people….....

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"Anthropology - Culture According To White's Energy", 29 September 2014, Accessed.21 May. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/anthropology-culture-according-white-energy-192214