Gods and knickknacks : the American adoption of Asian religious items
Permanent citation URL:
http://hdl.handle.net/1957/8437
|
| Title: | Gods and knickknacks : the American adoption of Asian religious items |
| Authors: | Jameson, Tamsyn L. |
| Advisors: | Rosenberger, Nancy |
| Committee Members: | Mc Murray, David McAlexander, James Nishihara, Janet |
| Keywords: | Anthropology religion Orientalism material culture Buddhism spirituality modernity spiritual consumption |
| LCSH Keywords: | Religious articles -- United States -- Public opinion Buddhist religious articles -- United States -- Public opinion Americans -- Attitudes Religion and culture -- United States Buddhism and culture Hinduism and culture -- United States |
| Issue Date: | 8-May-2008 |
| Abstract: | This thesis contains the cultural biography of Buddhist and Hindu items in a small college town in the United States. It explores different factors that have led to the availability of these items here, what attracts Americans to them, and the meanings they give these items. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with both sellers and consumers of Asian religious items. From these interviews four snap-shots within the cultural biography of these items emerged. Kopytoff's concept of the singularization of commodities is built upon to show how objects once singularized can become tools in the reflexive project of the self. These projects of the self shape the culture biographies of Asian religious items. Within the debate of appropriation versus diffusion, it was found that different degrees of singularization lead some consumers to believe they themselves have the right to consume and sell these items, but others do not. This thesis explores how Orientalism shapes American perceptions of these items in spite of the positive image given to them. |
| Description: | Graduation date: 2008 |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/8437 |
| Appears in Collections: | Electronic Theses and Dissertations |
Items in ScholarsArchive are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
