1/ Hi. I’m a cultural anthropologist. Can we talk about the “culture” part of #CancelCulture?

2/A lot of talk about #CancelCulture focuses on whether “cancelling” is a real phenomenon, whether it’s new, and whether it is il/liberal. But few have asked the question, why call cancelling a culture? So let’s revisit Anthro101

3/The term culture is notoriously difficult to define, doubly so for modern anthropologists who are often reluctant to use the much-critiqued word. (Spoiler: the reason anthros avoid it is the reason critics of #cancelculture use it).

4/ But as a starter, let’s go with the classic (and problematic) definition from Tylor that culture is a set of customs, beliefs, symbols, & habits associated with a given social group.

5/ Let’s add, a la Geertz, that culture is “arbitrary.” That is, there is no logical reason why French people wear berets and Scots wear kilts. You are born into a society that already has ideas of proper tastes, behaviors, rituals, and morals.

6/ In classic anthropology, culture is singular. The colonial anthropological project was to describe the singular cultural beliefs, practices, and symbols that defined “the Nuer” or “the Cree.” Internal debates, historical change, or differences w/i a culture are glossed over.

7/ These classic analyses of so-called “primitive culture” always also drew a contrast with the “civilized” Euro-America. While Europeans might “have” cultures, the idea was that “our” worlds were governed by rational debate whereas “they” were reflexively adhering to culture

8/ What does this divergence into Anthropology 101 reveal about #CancelCulture? First, the term #CancelCulture is only seriously used by critics. It allows them to draw together diverse calls for accountability under a single heading.

9/ So you no longer have to worry about *why* you are pissed off about Rowling’s transphobia, confederate monuments, or a non-diverse curriculum. No specific call for accountability can matter because they are all just *really* derivative of a larger #CancelCulture.

10/ (The idea that you might find Shor’s firing problematic but still not want to buy Goya products after their CEO endorses a racist and xenophobic President doesn't compute. No individual call for accountability can have its own logic since cultures must be analyzed as a whole)

11/ Moreover, by labeling calls for accountability as #CancelCulture, critics implicitly are saying that activist's commitments are ultimately arbitrary and non-rational, guided by an arbitrary generational "culture."

12/ Why do Brits like tea and crumpets? There’s no reason, that’s just what it means to be a Brit. Why do Millennials and Gen Zs like to “cancel”? There’s no reason, that’s just what their group does.

13/ Ironically, then, dismissing cancelling as a “culture” allows critics to not engage with the actual substance of calls for accountability. If it’s a culture, there cannot possibly be reasons behind their desire to hold people accountable.

14/ Side note: Look how often critics of #CancelCulture label their opponents as being a “mob” rather than a movement. A “mob” works off passions and emotion, whereas a movement is an organized effort to change society.

15/ And, by labeling calls for accountability as “culture,” critics draw the same kind of civilizational contrast as early anthropologists. *They* (often BIPOC) are governed by reflexive culture whereas *we* (often white) uphold the principles of free speech and rational debate.

16/ This is also why so many Defenders of Free Speech™ don’t see the rank hypocrisy of their own attempts to "cancel" those they don't like.

17/ Cary Nelson working to get @stevesalaita fired for his views on Palestine or Pollitt’s attempts to blacklist trans journalists can’t be #CancelCulture. Because *their* actions are governed by culture, whereas *ours* have reasons.

18/ As conservative @DouthatNYT recognizes, almost everyone believes there are limits on acceptable discourse and limited space on oped pages, museums, curriculums, etc. The real debate is about what those limits are & which voices should be prioritized. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/14/opinion/cancel-culture-.html

19/ But none of those debates can actually happen if you believe that calls for accountability are part of an irreflexive, generationally-bound, arbitrary, non-rational #CancelCulture

Addendum: See the better #THELETTER for a more thorough critique of the cancel part of #CancelCulture https://theobjective.substack.com/p/a-more-specific-letter-on-justice?fbclid=IwAR1Uss9GiqUWACYiDxxgONWWl5E1rn3TB4XQBn1EhVSBVZWY0LsMeQW0doo