Paper short abstract:

Considering EthnoArts work with minority groups in southeast Asia this paper examines the facilitation of decision-making, contextualisation and new creation in arts. We seek to understand emic, etic and the layers of understanding that these categories allow for in any cross-cultural interaction.

Paper long abstract:

The arts can be broadly defined as creative expression and communication outside of everyday speech. They are an important part of the cultural identity of minority people, who traditionally rely on oral means of communication, but their active use is increasingly eroded. EthnoArts work seeks to create space for minority people to reflect on their cultural art forms, such as instruments, singing styles, dances, and visual creations and make decisions as to their use in community-building efforts such as engaging with vernacular Scriptures, minority-language education, addressing social issues and worship. In this way, they are empowered to become proactive decision-makers with confidence in their unique identity rather than victims of outside forces.

In this paper we will consider EthnoArts work carried out in south-east Asia, with minority groups who have been systematically disempowered. We will consider the facilitation of decision-making, contextualisation and new creation through engagement with various types of arts, and their functions within culture from an emic perspective while also providing tools for groups to analyse their own art forms from an etic perspective. In doing so we seek to contribute to understandings of emic and etic and the layers of understanding that these categories allow for in any cross-cultural interaction.