ANTH1102 1st EditionLecture 3Outline of Last Lecture I. Ethnographic TechniquesII. Ethical PracticeIII. Body Ritual of the NaciremaIV. CultureA. Culture and EnvironmentB. Evolutionary BasisC. Universal vs. ParticularOutline of Current Lecture I. Culture (continued)A. Agency and PracticeB. PerspectiveC. Mechanisms of Cultural ChangeD. GlobalizationII. LanguageA. Linguistic AnthropologyB. Non-human and Primate CommunicationCurrent LectureCULTURE (cont.)Agency and practice- agency: actions individuals take, alone and in groups, in forming and transforming cultural identities; individual ability to decide what happens to you- ideal vs. “real” culture; individual vs. public- practice theory: recognizes individuals’ diversity so culture plays out differently (gender,status, religion, ethnicity, etc)- levels of cultural practice: international, national, and subgroupsPerspective- ethnocentrism: unbiased view of any culture- cultural relativism: doesn’t use outside standards to judge a culture- recognize human rightsMechanisms of Cultural Change- diffusion, acculturation (to acquire ideas from different culture), independent inventionGlobalization- Prominent example: corporate-> spread of companies across the world; e.g. McDonald’s in different countries, catering to each culture’s specific likes/demands (like Vegetarian options and curry)- Is it problematic? Generally, no, but some are opposed and wish to preserve their culture.LANGUAGE- primary means of communication- allows us to conjure elaborate images, discuss past/present/future, share experiences and benefit from others’ experiences- written language has been around about 6,000 years, but oral origin is unknown (likely first)Linguistic Anthropology- studies comparison, variation, and change in language- sociolinguistics: looks at multilingualism, dialects, linguistic styles, social differences- socio-political change: looks at colonization and expansion of world economyNon-human Primate Communication- call systems, vocal systems of nonhuman primates- limited number of sounds, cannot be combined- apes can learn true language: American Sign Language- Washoe (1962-2007) acquired 100 signs and could combine as many as 5, e.g. “you, me, go out, hurry”- Koko (1971-present) employs 400 ASL signs regularly and has tried 700-1,000 at least once; tested IQ between 70 and 95 on a human scale (100 is
View Full Document
Unlocking...