The additional text "Material Culture" by Sophie Woodward defines and starts to explain what material culture is. The work goes into brief detail about how there is a cultural effect on items. It makes the point that an object, it's physical properties, the material it's made with, and what makes them central to understanding culture and social relations. This work also challenges the belief that a physical item is separate from their cultural association. For example, in Christianity (although this is not universal to every sect of Christianity, Jehovah's Witnesses being an example of a religion that rejects symbols of worship) the cross is a well known symbol. At it's base, it is a cross shape possibly made out of wood. That is what it is at base level. However, the cross is culturally accepted as a symbol of Christianity and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This is the cultural association that goes along with this artifact.
It argues that material properties should not be overlooked when looking at the meaning if an item, but instead are central to the meaning the item possesses. Items also produce an effect on humans. We see this in the real world example of precious family heirlooms or the idea of "prized possessions." The article "Prized Possessions found at http://www.businesspsych.org/articles/113.html illustrates this point by giving an example of a widow who is attached to a home that she lived in with her husband, even though this home may not be practical for a woman living alone. It supports the idea that people become attached and have emotional connections and responses to physical items. It also goes to explain a brief history on the roots of Material Culture in Anthropology and Archeology. Material Culture in itself however is merging the two worlds of items and artifacts and examining how they affect culture and the relationship between people and things.
“Obo.” Material Culture - Anthropology - Oxford Bibliographies, 4 Jan. 2018, www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766567/obo-9780199766567-0085.xml.