Linguistics, Communication, and Economic Systems

These flashcards capture key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture notes covering linguistics, communication, and economic systems.

Language

A system of communication using symbols, sounds, and gestures that follow rules.

Lineal kin

Grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren

• in direct line

Collateral kin

Siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles

• blood related but in direct line of descent

Animal Communication vs. Human Language

Animal communication is limited to signals, while human language is symbolic, creative, and capable of discussing abstract concepts.

Displacement

The forced or involuntary movement of people from their homes often do to violence, conflict, or disasters.

Productivity

The ability to create new expressions in language.

• The infinite capacity of human language to create sounds, words, or grammatical structures.

Arbitrariness

The concept that there is no inherent link between words and meaning.

Silence in Communication

Silence can convey respect, discomfort, or power depending on the context.

Phonemes

The smallest units of sound in a language

• distinguish one word from another

• ex: (b)at , (k)at, (d)og

Morphemes

The smallest units of meaning in a language.

• can reveal cultural beliefs or values

• Free morpheme: words can stand alone like dog, cat

• Bound morpheme: or words that cannot stand alone and must be attached to a free morpheme (un-happy)

Syntax

The rules governing word order and sentence formation.

• examines the grammatical arrangment of words

Focal Vocabulary

Specialized vocabulary reflecting a group's priorities

• Saami people are indigenous reindeer hunters in Scandinavia. They have numerous words for snow, reindeer and ice that are important aspects to their culture.

Socio-Linguistics

The study of how language reflects and affects society, including issues of power and identity.

• How language interacts with and is shaped by social and cultural contexts

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

The theory that language shapes thought and perception of reality.

Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Wharf

• linguistic relativity: Weaker version; suggests that language influences thought and perception

• linguistic determinism: Stronger version; argues that language structures and vocab determines the way speakers think about the world.

Paralanguage

Non-verbal communication elements such as tone, pitch, volume, voice quality, and pauses.

• what one culture thinks is polite or expressive, another may not

Kinesics

The study of body language, gestures, and facial expressions.

Power-posing

The theory that body language can influence confidence and behavior.

• Amy Cuddy Ted Talk; argued that "power posing" could boost confidence and improve performance in various situations, such as job interviews.

iHunch

Posture associated with device use that affects confidence and mood.

Pidgin

A simplified language used for communication between groups.

• often used as lingua franca (mixture of French, Spanish, Greek, etc)

Creole

A fully developed language that evolves from a pidgin.

• pidgin is a simplified language used for specific purposes, a creole becomes a fully developed language with its own grammar and vocabulary, acquired as a first language by children. 

Code-switching/Diglossia

The practice of alternating between languages or dialects depending on the context.

Applied Linguistics

Efforts aimed at preserving and revitalizing endangered languages.

• Adresses real world language problems

Keith Basso

Studied silence and communication in Apache culture

Amy Cuddy

Researched body language and power-posing.

Benjamin Whorf & Edward Sapir

Developed the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis.

Economy

System of production, distribution, and consumption of resources.

Economic systems:

Structure of managing resources.

Production

How resources are gathered, grown, or manufactured.

Distribution

Systems for sharing or exchanging resources.

Consumption

Use of goods and services.

Foraging

Hunting, gathering, and fishing.

Pastoralism

Herding domesticated animals.

Horticulture

Small-scale gardening with hand tools.

Agriculture

Intensive farming with technology.

Non-market vs. market systems:

Non-market involves reciprocity and redistribution, while market systems use money and exchange.

Nomadism

The practice of moving regularly to follow resources.

Transhumance

Seasonal migration between pastures.

• moving livestock; usually lowlands in the winter and highlands in the summer

Slash and Burn Agriculture/Shifting Cultivation

A method involving clearing and burning land to plant crops.

Redistribution

Central collection and reallocation of goods (e.g., taxes).

Generalized Reciprocity

A form of gift-giving with no immediate return expected.

Balanced Reciprocity

An exchange where there is an expectation of return.

Negative Reciprocity

An attempt to get more than one gives in an exchange.

Hxaro

The !Kung system of delayed, balanced gift exchange.

• reciprocal gifting where individuals are obligated to care for their hxaro partners, who could be distant relatives or even individuals from other villages.

• among some Bushman or San groups in the northern Kalahari

Triangle Trade

A historical trade system connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

World Systems Theory

Immanuel Wallerstein’s theory dividing the world into; The theory dividing the world into core (wealthy) and periphery (poorer) nations.

• macro level perspective (large scale)

Core

Wealthy nations with control over resources.

• the fundamental, most closely related features of a society, particularly those concerning subsistence activities and economic arrangements

Periphery

Poorer nations exploited for labor and resources.

• regions or groups that are marginalized or less developed compared to the "core" or dominant areas, often studied through a "theory from the peripheries" approach that examines power dynamics and knowledge production. 

Commodity Chain

The path that goods take from production to consumption.

“Social life of things”

Concept that objects have cultural and economic significance.

• a seminal collection of essays edited by Arjun Appadurai, exploring how cultural meanings and social relations are intertwined with the circulation and consumption of commodities, moving beyond their purely economic function

Kinship

A system of social ties that define relationships.

• the web of social relationships that form an important part of the lives of all humans in all societies.

Family of orientation vs. family of procreation

Birth family vs. family formed through marriage/children.

Nuclear Family

A family unit consisting of two parents and their children living in the same household.

Extended Family

A family structure that includes multiple generations living together.

Joint Family

Multiple related families living together

Kin

Relatives by blood, marriage, or adoption.

Affines

In-laws (marriage-based kin)

Cognates

Blood relatives

Matrilineal Descent

Inheritance that follows the mother's line.

Patrilineal Descent

Inheritance that follows the father's line.

Bilateral Descent

Tracing descent through both parents.

Unilineal descent

Tracing descent through one line.

Bari ideas about descent

Multiple men can be biological fathers of a child.

Kinship naming systems

The sets of terms used in a language or culture to refer to different types of relatives

• Eskimo, Hawaiian, Iroquois

Eskimo

Distinguishes nuclear family from extended family.

• inuit studies

• also known as bilateral or cognitive

• distinguishes between lineal and collateral

Hawaiian

Generational terms (all cousins are “siblings”).

• This system uses the same terms for all relatives of the same generation, regardless of whether they are lineal or collateral.

• Emphasizes generational relationships and social solidarity. 

Iroquois

Distinguishes parallel and cross cousins.

• This system distinguishes between maternal and paternal relatives, but not between lineal and collateral relatives.

• Emphasizes the importance of the maternal and paternal sides of the family. 

Partible/shared paternity

Belief that multiple men contribute biologically to a child.

Serial monogamy:

Series of monogamous marriages.

Monogamy

The practice of having one spouse at a time.

Polygamy

Multiple Spouses

Polygyny

A form of marriage in which one man has multiple wives.

Polyandry

A form of marriage in which one woman has multiple husbands.

Fraternal polyandry

Brothers sharing a wife

Companionate Marriage

A marriage based on affection and choice.

Arranged marriage

Family selects spouse

Bride wealth/price:

Transfer of wealth from groom’s family to bride’s family.

Dowry

Transfer of wealth from bride’s family to groom’s family.

Virilocal residence

Couple lives near husband’s family

Uxorilocal residence

Couple lives near wife’s family.

Neolocal residence

Couple establishes a separate household

• forming the core of a nucelar family

Exogamy

Marrying outside a specific group.

Endogamy

Marrying within a specific group.

Meredith Small:

Studied kinship and child-rearing practices.

• specialized in an intersection of biology and culture

• professor at cornell

• Small's work often highlights the importance of cultural practices in shaping human development, particularly in infancy and childhood. 

Melvyn Goldstein

Studied Tibetan polyandry.

• nomadic pastrolism as well