Syncretism
Syncretism refers to the blending of elements from different cultures to create something new and distinct. This concept is prevalent in various aspects of society, including religion, music, and art. For example, the celebration of Christmas in Europe and North America merges elements from ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern traditions with winter solstice customs from northern Europe. In the realm of music, genres like jazz illustrate syncretism by combining European musical instruments and notation with African musical traditions, resulting in a uniquely American sound.
Additionally, syncretism plays a crucial role in addressing issues of ethnocentrism and racial superiority. By recognizing that cultures often evolve through the integration of diverse influences, one can challenge the notion that any single culture is the sole origin of societal contributions. This understanding highlights the fact that European and North American cultures are products of a rich tapestry of influences from various global cultures, including those from Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Ultimately, syncretism illustrates the interconnectedness of human societies and the shared nature of cultural development.
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Syncretism
In anthropology and sociology, syncretism means combining elements from different cultures to make something new. For example, Christmas, as celebrated in Europe and North America, combines ideas from Egypt and the Near East (monotheism, the birth of an infant who will grow up to be the savior) with winter solstice observances from northern Europe (Yule log, candles, holly, and the date itself). Examples in racial and ethnic relations are legion. Plains Indian cultures combined Native American ideas with Spanish horses and horse culture. Jazz combines European instruments, notation, and musical ideas with instruments, vocal practices, and musical ideas from West Africa to form a sound that is uniquely American. Inuit silk screens combine Inuit artistic ideas with Euro-American printmaking techniques.
Syncretism has another use in racial and ethnic relations: to combat naïve notions of ethnocentrism and racial superiority. Many people believe that racist attitudes would largely disappear if Americans understood that their culture is not a “White” product but rather derives from many different cultures and that the current global dominance of European and North American societies and cultural ideas does not imply that White individuals are or have ever been smarter. European cultural ideas derived from many sources, including China, India, Arabia, Africa, and the Americas. The resulting innovations were syncretic and historic, not genetic, outcomes.
Bibliography
Camara, Evandro. The Cultural One or the Racial Many: Religion, Culture and the Interethnic Experience. Ashgate, 1997.
Law, John, et al. "Modes of Syncretism: Notes on Noncoherence." Common Knowledge, vol. 20, no. 1, 2014, pp. 172–92, doi.org/10.1215/0961754X-2374817. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Lindstrom, Lamont. "Syncretism." The Routledge Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology, edited by Alan Barnard and Jonathan Spencer, 2nd ed., Routledge, 2012.
Pieterse, Jan Nederveen. Globalization and Culture: Global Mélange. 4th ed., Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2020.
Shohat, Ella, and Robert Stam. Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the Media. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2014.