The Small-Scale Study of an Open-Air Market in a Culturally Foreign Setting

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The Small-Scale Study of an Open-Air Market in a Culturally Foreign Setting

The task of learning about the broad patterns within a culture can be a daunting one, and attempting to uncover specific details about a foreign cultural setting is often a frustrating and difficult endeavor. The concept of cross-cultural understanding, however, is not one that can be approached with timidity. By nature, cultural study requires a degree of immersion, a willingness to get one's hands dirty and assault the senses with unfamiliar sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. Only through this experiential learning process can cultural understanding be truly achieved, one small step at a time. Four the past five months, I have undertaken this very assignment: to seek and uncover various cultural trends in a foreign setting through careful study of one aspect of society in that culture. Through this method I have been successful in leaning about both general aspects of culture and some particularities of the cultures I have encountered.

The basic goal of the project is simple, to learn the workings of a small-scale market in a culturally foreign setting. Though this, I may be able to explore and discern cultural aspects of the marketplace. This includes both cultural trends influencing the market, and vice versa. Several questions are of particular interest. How does the market function? The economic side of the inquiry includes what sources of goods and materials are available and used, how is a shop rented or owned, and how the labor force is composed. Things like inputs, transactions, prices, demographics, regulation, and the development of the market are all considered. Next, what is the market's function in the city? Whose needs are served, which needs are served, and what is the market's place in the economy of the city or region? Also, what is the direct cultural significance of the market? Are there visible dependence relationships between the market and those who act within it? I will also consider the historical context. How and why was the market formed? Finally, what is the future of the market? Will it switch from a local to a tourist market? As you can see, many issues have been raised which may lead to conclusions about the culture of a given setting. In short, what can we learn about how people live by examining how they buy and sell in a market setting?

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