🖼️List of cultural concepts

some concepts and thoughts (and questions?) about culture

Invented tradition

When a cultural item sounds fairly "ancient" but originated relatively recently (e.g. Scottish tartan [19th century], "Chinese" chop suey [post-WWII], Korean taekwondo [post-1945!]) possibly due to:

• clever marketing

• limited lifespan of a person

Invented tradition on Wikipedia

Pizza effect

When a cultural item originates from somewhere goes to another part of the world and "spins off", the spin-off version becomes identified as the "real thing" (e.g. pizza, "Chinese food", sushi, "French fries")

Pizza effect on Wikipedia

Ship of Theseus

When a system (e.g. a ship) has components that become gradually replaced:

• Does the ship still retain its identity or has it become a completely new ship?

• If it has become a new ship, then when did it cease to remain as the old ship?

Ship of Theseus on Wikipedia

Sorites Paradox

When does one thing stop being something after a certain amount of incremental changes?

• If a culture keeps borrowing from others, when does its authenticity end?

• If a song gets remixed so heavily, does it become a new song altogether?

  • This "remix" by Sigur Rós is ultimately based on "Feliz Navidad":

Sorites Paradox on Wikipedia

Sturgeon's law

The idea that 90% of everything is nonsense

Sturgeon's law on Wikipedia