Chapter 5 – Language and Communication

Many of us do not realize how the development of language has actually affected not only our world and culture, but more specifically shaped our ideas. Since the development of language around 5000BC the human race gained a new form of expression that each culture developed into its own unique form.

What we as a group decided we should further examine is the Sapirwhorf hypothesis. This states that different languages produce different ways of thinking. Therefore each language should have certain aspects that wouldn’t translate into another or wouldn’t convey the same meaning, so consider…

Take an idea like freedom or slavery and questioning the fact of whether these things would exist without the actual word (Freedom) existing. (Let’s say a totalitarian government in America takes control and decides to remove the words rebellion, disloyalty, traitor, coup, and revolution or there exists a culture without these words, would these ideas still exist for the people without language to express them?) After you have responded to this question, then try to think of some words in your language that would be hard to translate and explain why. (If you only speak English, consider English words that would be hard to express in another language.)

Here are some interesting, perhaps even funny videos that could aid you in your thinking process about language.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHQ2756cyD8

George Carlin explains how perception changes with words, but the overall idea or fact is the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h67k9eEw9AY

TED TALK: Debunking third-world myths with the best stats you've ever seen

Thursday September 27th, in our Introduction to Cultural Anthro at Baruch College, we watched a TED TALK video (Technology Entertainment and Design) of Hans Gosling Debunking third-world myths with the best stats you've ever seen.

In the video he uses the acronym "OECD" that stands for:
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international organization of those developed countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. For more see, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OECD. Here's the video for those who missed class Thursday.


After the 4:05 section, one student asked a great question, which went over my head at the time. Gosling is debunking third-world myths but after viewing the video, the student said, they are still considered third-world myths after viewing the video. Gosling doesn't ask us to stop using "third world". I explained his intention but I had an epiphany about his question just after the student left class. We think we are trying to change things (change "third-world" to ???). But this video is about attacking people's PERCEPTIONS. Perceptions are the front-line of sustaining "social constructs" and this is why the study of cultural anthropology can be so meaningful with its emic and etic perspectives on the so-called Third World or on those who led us to using those terms in the first place (precursors to OECD??).

What do you think is the power of the video? What does it attack in your own preconceptions of the world not just the "third world"?

What is the role of the "teacher" (an acscribed status)?

In the second section of ANT1001 on Thu Sep 27th, we talked about the role of the teacher after someone shared that in their high school class there was a teacher who NEVER taught. This was brought up as an idea for group leadership in our discussions.

The teacher this student had made the students run discussions of assigned books and everything the entire class. Someone reacted saying "but then they are not doing their job!" I asked what is their job. The student said "to teach!"

After class I happen to seredipitously run across this on the web:

Awakener Award
for Innovative Leadership in Education
http://foundationforlearning.org/#awakeneraward


I am not a teacher, but an awakener.
-- Robert Frost


Interested in a world where teachers are awakeners? A world in which teacher is a title of honor given to someone around whom people open their eyes and see?

Many teachers already are awakeners. The work of the Foundation for Learning is to sing their praises, to foster the environments in which they emerge, and to put a spotlight on innovative teaching.

The Foundation for Learning is accepting nominations for the Awakener Award for innovative leadership in education. We are looking specifically for people whose innovations have spread beyond a single classroom, a single school, or a single school district.

Send your nominations to nominate@foundationforlearning.org or participate in the community discussions on this site.

The first recipient of the Awakener Award is Linda Inlay of River School in Napa, California, for her work on the Implicit Curriculum.

Blog's Up!

Guys & Dolls,

First time blogging, so fire away with any comments or criticisms! I'd love the input!

What shall we discuss? Let's get some q's up here and start talking!

.:duncan:.