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FOCUS ON LANGUAGE (continued):Levels of Complexity, Cultural Emphasis

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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Lesson 10
FOCUS ON LANGUAGE (continued)
Changes in Language
Language evolves over time. Linguists can undertake a synchronic analysis to understand language structures
and its underlying rules at a given point in time. Undertaking a diachronic analysis, however, means looking at
how a given language changes over time.
Language Families
Language families include languages derived from a proto-language. Linguists began clustering languages
upon finding similarities between Sanskrit and classical Latin and Greek in the 1880s. From the perspective
of language families, Germanic is mother tongue of English. French and Spanish are its sister languages.
They all belong to the Indo-European language family.
All languages have internal dialects as well as sharing features with other languages as well, particularly with
those belonging to the same language family as them.
Levels of Complexity
Linguists have proven that languages of less technological societies are as capable of communicating
abstract ideas as advanced societies. For example, the Navaho do not have singular and plural nouns, like
English does, but their verbs contain much more information than English.
Instead of merely saying `going' the Navaho say how they are going, if they are going on a horse, they must
further indicate how fast the horse is going, which is a lot more information than a phrase in English, which
just mentions `I am going'.
Cultural Emphasis
The vocabulary of languages emphasizes significant words in a given culture. This is known as a `cultural
emphasis'. Technologically related words show emphasis on technology in highly industrialized countries.
There are numerous new words to describe computer technology in various languages, which did not even
exist a few decades ago.
Language and Culture
Some ethno-linguists suggest that language is more than a symbolic inventory of experiences from our
physical world experiences. According to them, language even shapes our thoughts and provides a
standardized way to react to experiences.
The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
According to this hypothesis, different cultures see the world differently due to their different languages.
Language influences and channels our perceptions and thus shapes our resulting behavior as well. The
hypothesis has conducted several tests in the attempt to validate its claim.
Linking Language to Culture
It is difficult to establish causation to prove either that language determines culture or that culture
influences language. Language does mirror values of a culture, consider for example the emphasis on self in
individualistic societies. On the other hand, in more traditional societies like Japan the use of collective
words like `we' is much more evident.
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Introduction to Cultural Anthropology ­ SOC401
VU
Socio-Linguistics
Socio-linguistics examines links between languages and social structures. While earlier cultural linguists
focused on language structures, there is now greater focus on the situational use of language, i.e. how the
same language is used to speak in different manners depending on the context of the conversation.
Diglossia
Often two varieties of the same language are spoken in different social situations. High forms are associated
with literacy and education, and the elite whereas the lower forms (for example, Pidgin) are considered to be
less sophisticated.
Language and Nationalism
Language has important implications for ethnic identities. To forge national unity, political leaders have
often suppressed use of local languages in favor of standardized national languages to provide a sense of
unity to the nation and to develop a common means of communication.
Useful Terms
Evolve: Develop
Synchronic Analysis: the analysis of cultural data at a single point in time, rather than through time
Diachronic Analysis: the analysis of socio-cultural data through time, rather than at a single point in time
Derived: taken from
Abstract: Not clear or vague
Emphasis: To lay importance on
Perceptions: Viewpoints
Suppressed: concealed or covered up
Dialect: form of speech peculiar to particular region
Suggested Readings
Students are advised to read the following chapters to develop a better understanding of the various
principals highlighted in this hand-out:
Chapter 6 in `Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective' by Ferrarro and/or Chapter 15 in `Anthropology' by
Ember and Pergrine
Internet Resources
In addition to reading from the textbook, please visit the following website for this lecture:
Anthropological Linguistics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropological_linguistics
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Table of Contents:
  1. WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY?:Cultural Anthropology, Internet Resources
  2. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE AND THE APPLICATION OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
  3. MAJOR THEORIES IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Diffusionism
  4. GROWTH OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL THEORY (continued):Post Modernism
  5. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Comments on Fieldwork
  6. METHODS IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):Census Taking
  7. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND CONSUMPTION IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD
  8. ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY (continued):THE DISTRIBUTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES
  9. FOCUSING ON LANGUAGE:Languages of the World, Structure of Language
  10. FOCUS ON LANGUAGE (continued):Levels of Complexity, Cultural Emphasis
  11. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURES:Optimal Foraging, Suggested Readings
  12. FOOD AND CULTURE (continued):Food Collectors, Food Production
  13. OBTAINING FOOD IN DIFFERENT CULTURE (continued):Pastoralism, Agriculture
  14. RELEVANCE OF KINSHIP AND DESCENT:Kinship Criteria, Rules of Descent
  15. KINSHIP AND DESCENT (continued):Tracing Descent, Primary Kinship Systems
  16. THE ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE:Economic Aspect of Marriage
  17. ROLE OF FAMILY AND MARRIAGE IN CULTURE (continued):Family Structures
  18. GENDER AND CULTURE:Gender Stratification, Suggested Readings
  19. GENDER ROLES IN CULTURE (continued):Women Employment, Feminization of Poverty
  20. STRATIFICATION AND CULTURE:Social Ranking, Dimensions of Inequality
  21. THEORIES OF STRATIFICATION (continued):The Functionalists, Conflict Theorists
  22. CULTURE AND CHANGE:Inventions, Diffusion, Donor, Conventional
  23. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Cultural Interrelations, Reaction to Change
  24. CULTURE AND CHANGE (continued):Planned Change, Globalization
  25. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION:Bands, Tribal Organizations, Chiefdoms
  26. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):State Systems, Nation-States
  27. POLITICAL ORGANIZATION (continued):Social Norms, Informal Mechanisms
  28. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE:Emotional Development, Psychological Universals
  29. PSYCHOLOGY AND CULTURE (continued):Origin of Customs, Personality Types
  30. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE:Ideology in Everyday Life, Hegemony
  31. IDEOLOGY AND CULTURE (Continued):Political ideologies, Economic Ideology
  32. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES:Variation in Associations, Age Sets
  33. ASSOCIATIONS, CULTURES AND SOCIETIES (continued):Formation of Associations
  34. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE:Similarity in Human Adaptations
  35. RACE, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE (continued):Inter-group Relations
  36. CULTURE AND BELIEFS:Social Function of Religion, Politics and Beliefs
  37. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE:Changing Definitions of Local Knowledge
  38. LOCAL OR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE (continued):The Need for Caution
  39. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT:Influence of Development Notions
  40. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Contentions in Development
  41. ANTHROPOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (Continued):Operational
  42. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART:Relevance of Art, Art and Politics
  43. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ART (continued):Art as a Status Symbol
  44. ETHICS IN ANTHROPOLOGY:Ethical Condemnation, Orientalism
  45. RELEVANCE OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:Ensuring Cultural Survival