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With a title and book cover that resembles the feel and look portrayed by Autonomedia books such as Temporary Autonomous Movement and others by Bob Black, this title caught my attention as it peeped at me through a stack of aged and tattered books in a run down Anaheim bookshop. With chapter titles such as "The Paradox of Culture," "Hidden Culture," and "Rhythm and Body Movement" I had to pick up this title.

I've read plenty of anthropology books - most of which were ethnographic in one way or another - but must say that Hall is probably one of the most unorthodox and revolutionary anthropologists that I have ever read. What Freakanomics is to Economics, Beyond Culture is to Anthropology. Below are a few concepts high lightened by the book:

M-Time vs P-Time
Hall identifies two different concept of time and space systems; Monochronic time (M-time) and polychromic time (P-time.) "M-time emphasizes schedules, segmentation, and promptness... It is also tangible; they speak of it as being saved, spent, wasted, lost, made up, accelerated, slowed down, crawling, and running out." Meanwhile, P-time is "characterized by several things happening at once... [and opposed to M-time] is apt to be considered a point rather than a ribbon or a road, and that point is sacred." In Puerto Rico's P-time system, for example, an American would perceive the line at a local bakery to be chaotic and without order. "There is no order as to who is served next, and to the northern European or American, confusion and clamor abound."

Hall makes the dangerous conclusion that "without schedules and something very much like the M-time system, it is doubtful if our industrial civilization could have developed as it has." Hall's statement has revolutionary impact on culture-economics relations. If P-time systems are not as industrialization-friendly as M-time systems, should not successful should not a public policy be tuned to such a reality? P-time Latin America has traditionally adopted the economic policies of M-time systems without having the "cultural tools" required to carry out such a task. Neoliberals might push for assimilate into a M-time system, but I once again must differ. Economic policy reform is much more convenient, efficient, and easier than the reform of an entire culture. P-time-friendly economic models must be pursued.

And now to expand upon a number of points made by Hall:

Technology as Solution
"World problems such as food and housing," state Hall, "are seen as technological." Genetically modified foodstuffs, nanotechnology, and stem cell research, for example, are often praised as solutions to serious world problems. Ironically, the industrial revolution and the green revolution were similarly championed as solutions to the evils of the poverty.

Proponents of such a concept believe that methods must be found as to where a given product can be extended to those who need it. By making food cheaper to cultivate and market, it is believed, social justice can be achieved. The final goal does little to restructure social mobility access and existing power arrangements. It simply extends a service from an inefficient and weak grid to surrounding areas. Ironically, technology has furthered our capacity for exploitation and large scale destruction. Neither the industrial nor the green revolution has allowed mankind to secure its survival as a species - but in fact has endangered it.

Panhuman Syncing
Video taping subjects talking at a 1/18 and 1/24 frame rate, Hall noticed a considerable amount of common body synchrony in body movement. Hall refers to a person's array of physical gestures and expression during conversation as a sort of "dance". Subjects portrayed the same gestures and syncing and even shared identical recording pen movements when connected to an EEG. "When the two people talked, the recording pens moved together as though driven by a single brain."

While "it appears to be innate", syncing is also culture-specific. "American children," states Hall, "synced with Chinese just as well as they did with English [but] while infants will sync with the human voice regardless of language, they later become habituated to the rhythms of their own language and culture." The study concludes that body movements are "rooted in biology (bio-basic) and modified by culture".

Even if one was to learn a foreign language, misalignment with body movement patterns can cause communication difficulties. Americans and the English, for example, "have problems reading each other's kinesics." Hall calls this a "local beat".

Hall's observation revolutionizes the way one can perceive music. When one finds a style of music that do they not like, this is attributed to a "poor job in capturing the perception and rhythm" of a local beat.

Product of the Environment
Hall makes reference to yet another interesting study: