Research On The Body Of Intangible Cultural Heritage

In traditional Bunun culture,a sacred song was sung during the millet planting ceremony as an offering to the gods.According to tradition,when the tone of the singers' voices was at its highest and brightest,the gods would be pleased and bless them with an abundant harvest.In the Bunun language this perfect harmony is called bisosilin.However,due to major changes in the Bunun's religious beliefs and agricultural practices,this sacred song has lost its original significance,and has become a mere cultural performance,the future of which remains uncertain.Nonetheless,research has shown that Bunun people singing the millet planting song still experience a sense oneness,suggesting that this embodied experience may be the key to preventing this unique Bunun singing tradition from dying out altogether.In this study I explore the relationship between embodied experience and intangible cultural heritage.Adopting a hybrid methodology and theoretical framework,I conducted a longitudinal study of the embodied experience of Bunun people singing the millet planting song.I also propose a model for the study of intangible cultural heritage which applies the perspective of embodied experience to revisiting such core issues as the source and content of intangible cultural heritage,and how to preserve it.The research methodology is a combination of document analysis,field study,and the experience sampling method(ESM).The research was divided into two parts: a pilot study and the actual research.In the pilot study,manual sampling of various intangible cultural heritage projects at different levels(national and county)was used to test the validity of the survey and to make revisions.In the main part of the research,the revised survey was administered to a sample of Bunun participants.Their responses were sorted and coded,and then subjected to an integrated analysis in relation to a variety of perspectives,so as to arrive at a more objective understanding of this subjective experience.These perspectives include: related past research in ethnomusicology and anthropology;the philosophy of embodied experience as put forth by such philosophers as Merleau-Ponty and Don Ihde;and,from the field of psychology,the flow state scale(FSS),embodied cognition,peak experience,and the hierarchy of needs.The participants' reports were then compared with the reports of participants in similar past studies.Finally,I provide a comprehensive summary of the results.The main findings were as follows: The embodied experience of those singing the millet planting song can be divided into four types: singing,hearing,connecting with the sound,and reaching perfect harmony.By revealing the embodied knowledge hidden in the body,the findings suggest a new paradigm for research on embodied intangible cultural heritage,one which can respond to the core issues of this field.First,inasmuch as the body is the source of intangible cultural heritage,and seeing that the millet planting song arose to meet the practical requirements of the Bunun people,how they understand it and how they experience it on the bodily level have naturally transformed due to constantly changing circumstances.Second,it's in the body that intangible cultural heritage is reproduced and experienced,and the core significance of the millet planting song has arisen out of ineffable embodied experience.Thus,much of this rich store of embodied knowledge is likely to be missed by a purely musicological approach.Third,the handing down of cultural heritage involves the transferal of physical experience.Under the weight of the immutable law of change,the original ceremonial significance of the millet planting song has given way to its value as a cultural performance.Notwithstanding,elucidating the principles at work in the incessant changes taking place in human experience and values will make a major contribution to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage.The interdisciplinary methodology of this research has increased its depth and breadth of analysis,thereby enhancing its value in the liberal arts.Considering the large scope covered by embodied knowledge and intangible cultural heritage,this research should be seen as a preliminary exploration meant to inspire further studies in both fields.