Anthropology Exam 2

linguistics

the study of language

psycholinguistics

the study of the development of language

linguistic anthropology

the study of language and culture

call systems

the ability to communicate limited by time, sound and complexity (e.g. when cats are happy they purr)

Universal call systems in humans

laughing, sobbing, crying in pain, screaming, fighting, groaning, sighing

kinesics

study of non-verbal communication; any form of non verbal communication involving the body

Proxemics

personal space (culturally encoded — some cultures stand much closer than others)

semiotics

study of signs/ symbols and their use

three types of semiotics

icons, index, symbol

icon

index

symbol

phoneme

the basic unit of sound

morpheme

pattern of use, words

grammar

the conventions and rules of morphemes

ASL

has chereme instead of phonemes

koko the gorilla

used sign language, had the language capabilities of a 3 year old, no communication competency

pragmatics

study of language in the context of its use

linguistic ethnography

talking to people and observing body language

sociolinguistics

study of language in a social context, how language relates to social interactions

focal words

set of words and distinctions important to a certain group (e.g. a yardsale is when a skiier wipes out and loses all their equipment)

War as an example — friendly fire, soft target, collateral damage are all focal words

policy as an example —- “no child left behind” act, or patriot act were both named to gain support 

Sapir Whorf hypothesis

The idea that the language that you use limits or expands your worldview, affects the way in which you think

dialect

a variety of a language spoken by a group of people with distinct phonemes or syntax

Preconcieved notions about dialects

we think hill billies are stupid because of how they sound

Linguistic profiling

when we discriminate against a person because of the way they sound, e.g POCs are less likely to hear back about housing applications

dialect vs accent

dialect —> gramatical properties 

Accent —> different ways of pronouncing things

rapport talk

a way of establishing rapport (connection and negotiation)

uptalk

the tone of the last word goes up —> makes it sound like a question

report talk

a way of delivering facts and establishing status in a hierarchical order

descriptives

describe language as it changes

prescriptives

believe we need rules to language

grapholect

written rules of a language

pigeon

trade language of english

AAVE and education

schools are insensitive to AAVE

Different language families

e.g indo-european, sino tibetan, niger-congo, afro-arabic

how do we know how many languages there are

6900 languages, christian missionaries

dialect continua

a range of mutually intelligible dialects of a languages where dialects that are close to each other are only slightly different, but differences accumulate over time, making them unintelligible over time 

mutual intelligibility

if a speaker of one language can understand another, and vice versa, it is not a unique language

language hotspots

higher # of languages per capita

endangered language

a language that isn’t spoken by the new generation, likely to become extinct (like Yiddish)

cultural genocide

assimilation into a culture by force

Chickasaw people

there were boarding “schools” that forced a cultural genocide unto the Chickasaw people, and they forced chickasaw children to only speak english 

Trail of tears, genocide and cultural genocide

Paleoanthropology

study of extinct organisms via fossils

stratum

different layers of earth

gestation rates

big animals take longer to gestate, easier to go extinct 

65 million years ago

rise of the primates

7 million years ago

rise of bipedialism

sexual dimorphism

males and females have distinctly different characteristics (e.g male peacocks are colorful, female peacocks are brown and grey)

obligate biped

when an animal stands on two legs to seem more agressive

differences in pelvis between bipeds and quadrupeds

quadrupeds’ pelvis cups their organs, bidpeds’ pelvis holds organs from underneath 

benefits of being a quadruped

not a balancing act, faster, more stable 

Foramen magnum

big hole in the bottom of the skull, bipeds have it in the center of the skull

Spines

quadrupeds — c shaped

bipeds — s shaped

femur angle

in bipeds, changed so we don’t walk like penguins

bipedalism pros and cons

pros: more energy efficient, visual surveillance (for food, predators), can carry food, tools, babies

cons: quick surveillance isn’t possible 

Hominins

living and extinct members of the human lineage

4.2-1.9 million years ago

3 feet tall, 50% sexually dimorphic, lucy, small brain, biped

2.2-2.3 million years ago

ice age, the genus homo: stone tools, culture manifests

Homo habilis

first homonin to have culture and teach their children (how to make stone tools) 

Homo erectus

tools, controlled fire, hunted in groups, brains grew; left africa

Homo sapiens

200 thousand years ago, what we are

Rising star cave

where they discovered that women went to give birth in the age of early homo nelidi 

Homo neledi

different species, same genus, existed at the same time as homo sapiens, very small brains for when they existed, but did complicated things

Paleoprotic DNA

study proteins in enamel to tell what DNA sequence was needed to make that protein

factors that effect evolution

natural selection, isolation, human movement and migration, interbreeding, mutation, gene flow, genetic drift

Causes for adaptation

selective pressures, such as disease, nutritional needs, temperature, sunlight exposure

secondary product revolution

using animals for wool and milk instead of just meat

biological anthropology

studies the biology and evolution of us, how did we come to be “human”

paleoanthropology

study of ancient humans, study shape of ancient ancestors 

Great rift valley

great for preservation of fossils because of the amount of earthquakes

osteology

forensic anthropology — uses bones to solve crimes

biological archeologist —- studies human remains to understand how individuals represent culture

primatology

study to better understand our closest living relatives, study the humanity in them

Lamark

evolution by acquired characteristics

charles darwin

the origin of species — survival of the fittest

fitness

how adapted you are to your environment

tenants of natural selection

phenotypic variation (heritable)

survival and reproduction of the fittest

reproductive isolation = speciation 

applied anthropology

applying anthropological methods to solve real world problems

problem: low lead testing in Broome county

lead is very dangerous, NYS mandated that all children are tested, completely preventable, lead gets into kids bloodstreams because of the paint dust, but drs don’t know this 

barriers to lead testing

time, no follow up from patients after lead test has been ordered, little you can do (can educate providers)

communication

not the same as language, not the origin of language,

parts of the brain dedicated to language

broca’s and wernicke’s area

proxemics

how we position our bodies in relation to others

home signs

non-verbal communication learned and invented in the home (NOT asl) 

gestures

cultural encoded, e.g thumbs up can mean up yours in other cultures

Jane Goodall

popularized primatology, first to discover chimps used tools

diversity of nonhuman primates

over 400 of them

primate suborders

Strepsirrhini — wet nose (lemurs, galagos) and Haplorhini — dry nose (humans, apes) 

homonoids

biggest body size, socially complex

Strepsirhine traits

Reliance on smell

• Nocturnal

• Vertical clingers and leapers (VCL)

• Stereoscopic vision

Lemurs

Continental drift, no gene flow, no predation, rafting hypothesis, MANY species of lemurs

tarsiers 

most carnivorous non-human primate (not old or new)

monkeys can be classified into 

old world (Africa) and new world (South America)

aspects of new world monkeys

grasping tails

How do gorillas walk

on their knuckles

Primate ecology

Interrelationships of animals, plants, & environment (e.g FOOD AFFECTS PRIMATE BEHAVIOR;  Behavior affects food choice)