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Culture And Anthropology

Culture And Anthropology . Cultural Variation Ethnocentrism Cultural Relativity. Defining Culture. Many Ways to Define Culture Depending on Research Orientation. Culture is Learned Culture is Shared within a Community. Elements of Human Culture. Technology Economic Organization

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Culture And Anthropology

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  1. Culture And Anthropology • Cultural Variation • Ethnocentrism • Cultural Relativity

  2. Defining Culture • Many Ways to Define Culture Depending on Research Orientation. • Culture is Learned • Culture is Shared within a Community

  3. Elements of Human Culture • Technology • Economic Organization • Social Organization • Political Organization • Ideology (Belief System) • Aesthetics (Artistic Expression) • Culture is not possible without Language

  4. The Influence of Culture on Language • Cultural Emphasis • Boas: Language a window into culture • Language reflects culture • Finer distinctions • More elaborate vocabulary • Inuit snow, seals Interactive IñupiaQ Dictionary • Nuer cattle • U. S. sports • Hanunóo colors • Marshallese birthing vocabulary

  5. How Language Reflects Culture • Cultural emphasis… • Cognitive Anthropology… • Ethnoscience as method… • Linguistic Relativity….

  6. Ethnosemantics • 1950s and 60s • Frake, Goodenough, Conklin • Alternate names: • Ethnoscience, Cognitive Anthropology • Vocabulary indicates • “native” categories • Culturally important distinctions • Psychological reality or formal account?

  7. Ethnosemantics as Method • Identify a semantic domain • Grand Tour questions • Collect words • Construct a taxonomy • Develop a componential analysis • (i.e., feature analysis, contrast analysis) • (See W/R pp. 22-25).

  8. Linguistic Relativity • Languages are • Differently structured • Arbitrary systems • Cultural emphases are • Differently structured • Arbitrary systems • Body parts • Kin terms • Color terms

  9. Searching for Universals • Berlin & Kay: Basic Color Terms • Focal points vs boundaries • Sequence • Black and white • Add red • Add green or yellow • Add yellow or green • Add blue • Add brown • Add purple, pink, orange, and/or gray • Problems • Defining basic • Establishing a “standard” for colors

  10. Hanunóo Color Terms • Dark • Light • Fresh • Dry • Reflecting an agricultural focus.

  11. Languages are different Languages are arbitrary systems Differences are not predictable Linguistic Relativity - body parts - kin - colors.

  12. The Influence of Language on Culture • Linguistic determinism • Sapir and Whorf • Strong Whorf • Language determines thought • Language as a prison (Agar) • Weaker Whorf • Language influences thought • Language as a room (Agar) • Stumbling (English) v. hobbling along (Hopi) • An event v. a continuum

  13. Experiments in Linguistic Determinism: Yucatec • Grammar stresses material • Connects related words for wood, tree, table • Individuals group cardboard items together.

  14. Experiments in Linguistic Determinism: English • Grammar stresses shape • Different words for wood, tree, table • Individuals group boxes together.

  15. New Evidence for Linguistic Determinism • Relative space v. absolute space • Guugu-Yimidhirr (an Australian Aborigine Language) • NORTH-SOUTH-EAST-WEST (absolute) • Tzeltal (A Mayan language spoken in Chiapas) • UPHILL-DOWNHILL (relative).

  16. Experiencing Linguistic Determinism • Shinzwani: mezajuu = at/on the table • Shinzwani lending and borrowing • Ukrainian liubov v. kokhannia • Clock time in Czech and English • Hijri v. Gregorian calendars.

  17. Language, Culture, and Thought • Categories and Metaphors • Hopi and English ways of talking about time • Time in cycles • Life is a journey • Arriving at a stopping place • Time in units • Time is money • Running out of time.

  18. time = matter Examples of Linguistic Determinism: SAE Units of time = objects Passage of time = endless line of identical objects

  19. time = a process units of time = cycles passage of time = endless repetition of same cycle. Examples of Linguistic Determinism: Hopi

  20. Metaphors and Frames • Using words within frames • Viewing the world through frames • Founding Fathers v. Founding Mothers • Tax relief v. community support • Looting v. finding • Job creators v. The 1% The ACA Supreme Court decision was based on framing – Tax v. Mandate

  21. Summary • Language is a window into culture (Boas) • Language is a cultural map (Conklin, Frake…) • Language is a guide to social reality (Sapir/Whorf) • Linguistic relativity: grammar influences thought • A well-accepted idea • Linguistic determinism: grammar determines world view • Still controversial • Language is a framing device (Lakoff) • Helps us to organize and frame our experience of the world • And to express our experience of the world

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