Language Experiment

Part 1:

1. I found this experiment to be extremely difficult since we were not allowed to use any kind of spoken language. I was trying to communicate with my partners about the things that went on during my day, but was limited in my knowledge of appropriate hand signs and body language to clearly express what I wanted to say. If I couldn't think of suitable motions to go along with my thoughts, I resorted to pointing at objects or pictures to refer to things and people I was talking about. Luckily, there are certain body movements and signals that are generally known, such as the gestures for "hi," "driving," "running," "eating" that put us on the same page, and once my partners had an idea of the context of the conversation, it was easier to nod and direct their thoughts to the focus of my intended message.
2. My partners were pretty clueless in the beginning and it took awhile for us to try to come up with a good method for communicating. At first, I initiated the conversation and just started to gesture, but this approach appeared to be haphazard and they had a difficult time figuring out what I was saying. Therefore, instead of me signaling and them merely guessing, they changed their way of communicating by taking on a more active role and straightforwardly asking me specific questions and I responded using non-verbal clues.  
3. If my partners and I were from two different cultures, I think that the culture using symbolic language would have the advantage in communicating complex ideas because gestures are not universal and different meanings can be conveyed, so therefore messages would be misconstrued. The speaking culture might think that the other culture is incompetent, inferior, or rude since they do not know the cultural context behind their actions. I took a course on Deaf people in our culture and learned that they feel misunderstood and are often stigmatized and stereotyped because one of the ways "culture" is thought of, is having a linguistic community with spoken language. Those who speak develop a particular view about deaf people and have a hard time communicating/knowing them, consider them to be disabled/handicapped, and may treat them with pity as a result. I learned that it is common for people from spoken culture to interact with the deaf in this manner instead of viewing them as a people of distinct culture with a particular history and linguistic community of their own.  

Part 2:

1. I was able to last for the full 15 minutes of using only speech for communicating but it was most difficult to not be able to use hand movements or changes in tone. I feel like the differences in the sounds of our voices are tremendously significant in affecting meaning, so it was extremely hard not being able to express certain emotions behind my sentences.
2. My partners had a hard time of clearly understanding me because they did not know the context of what I was communicating. For example, I was talking about a co-worker that is fairly unproductive and forgetful. The simple statement "James didn't mail the letters" could mean that he hasn't gotten to it yet, he didn't have to mail them, or that he has repeatedly made the same mistake and caused an inconvenience. However, without intonations or facial expressions, and the fact that my partners did not know the relationship between James and the rest of my co-workers, it was very difficult for my partners to understand the gravity of the situation.  
3. Non-speech language is significant in our ability to communicate effectively in face-to-face interactions because certain elements of the emotional content of talk comes out through facial expressions and gestures. At the same time, even people in the same culture read signs differently. For example, some people might consider those who cross their arms to be shy, reserved, stand-offish, or angry. However, it may just be that they feel comfortable resting their arms in that position or that they don't have anywhere else to place them.
4. I work with children with autism and I feel like they have a hard time reading body language a lot of the times. Communication is divided between verbal and body language and it is beneficial to be able to read such signs since they set the mood and provide clues, giving a better sense to the intended meaning behind what people are trying to say. For example, the angle/direction people sit, the use of eye contact, and proxemics can offer insight into the level of interest in a conversation. However, an environmental condition in which it might be a benefit to not reading body language could perhaps be in frightening situations between a mother and her child, in which it is probably better if the child could not read the mother's expressions or mannerisms so that he/she wouldn't panic and create more stress for the parent. 

Part 3:

1. Yes, I think the experiment in Part 1 would have been easier if I was allowed to use written language because I would be able to use diction in order to communicate meaning, like in a story or essay. Also, certain emotions can be evoked by using punctuation marks such as ellipses or exclamation points. 
2. The advantage that written language provides a culture is preservation - preservation in a sense that written language allows for memory, so that cultures can pass down important information with more accuracy. Written language can also cause new forms of social life. For example, in America, written language has surpassed the realm of print into the digital age, and as a result has transformed a different kind of socialization that diminishes the gap between time and space so that it is easier for people to communicate via e-mail, IM, video chat, etc.
3. Written language has revolutionized the distribution of information as it can be rapidly transmitted across physical borders. Language is a significant element of culture, so therefore this phenomenon also contributes to the circulation of commodities and people around the world as they migrate, interact, and exchange knowledge and goods.

Environmental Adaptations: The Zulu & Andean Indians

The Zulu

1. The Zulu occupy a subtropical region of South Africa known as KwaZulu-Natal, which is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and an abundance of mountains. The average temperature is about 21C (70F). However, the climate fluctuates throughout the year to great extremes between the summer and winter months. While it is scorching hot and rainy in the summer, the Zulu experience heavy snow and suffer the awfully cold and dry weather in the winter. Their province has been characterized by adequate rainfall, especially during the summer, which functioned to provide fertile soil, thereby contributing to the overall productivity of agriculture as a fundamental means of subsistence. Unfortunately though, this trend is rapidly changing and the fate of the Zulu is at jeopardy. Annual rainfall has either occurred less frequently causing drought, or with tremendous magnitude producing flooding.
2. In response to the high temperature of the summer months, the Zulu have physically adapted in their production of melanin, which causes dark pigmentation of the skin as a protection mechanism against the harmful UV rays.
                               
3. Culturally, the Zulu had to adapt to changing rainfall conditions by diversifying their economical practices since their agriculture has been threatened. Alternatively, they have had to find other modes of earning income, such as making household products to sell such as baskets, brooms, and doormats. Moreover, the Zulu have made changes to their farming practices by making strategic use of the agricultural landscape in order to compensate for the inconsistent and unpredictable rainfall. For example, increasing plant distances maximizes the space that is ideal for nutrient and water absorption.
                                
4. I think the Zulu would best fit the African American race on the basis of the popular notion of "race" being associated with the physical characteristic of skin color.

Andean Indians 

1. The Andean Indians inhabit the Andes Mountains of South America. Climate varies quite a bit depending on the region (North, Central, and South) since they differ in their altitudes as well as their distances from the equator. In the winter, temperatures can average about less than 52F with about 4 inches of rain, and around 68F-72F in the summer with 8 inches of rain. For the Andean Indians, altitude is an extremely important environmental factor that plays a significant role in determining all forms of life, including aspects of climate, vegetation, animal habitation. 
2. In response to the environmental stress of high altitude, the Andean Indians have physically adapted through their increased production of hemoglobin and lung expandability. As a result, higher concentrations of oxygen are able to be carried by the blood to prevent hypoxia, which is caused by a deficiency in oxygen at lower atmospheric pressure in high mountainous regions.
                                                    
3. Furthermore, the Andean Indians also had to develop cultural adaptations in response to high altitudes, which greatly impacted plant and animal life. The kinds of animals they could raise and the types of plants they could grow obviously depended on the temperature, soil, climate, and rainfall - all of which were limited by the altitude. Llamas and alpacas were the animals that could survive in such harsh elevations, and they produced food (milk and wool) and warm clothes (hide and wool). Another source of food was through the cultivation of potatoes, which were able to subsist in the cold environment.
                                 
4. Again, on the basis of physical appearance, the Andean Indians would best be characterized as indigenous peoples of the Native American race.

Summary: Adaptation vs. Race

I believe that the concept of adaptation has more explanatory power over the idea of race in describing a population, and is therefore more useful to anthropologists. Race is such a social and cultural construction that cannot be definitively determined. Its fluidity and ambiguity are maintained by differences in people's experiences and knowledge about their own culture as well as others. The races I have assigned to each population is not an accurate depiction or description and lacks meaning because it is merely predicated upon a public display. On the other hand, identifying physical and cultural adaptations is a much more reliable approach to better understanding both populations since it takes into account how they have interacted with their environments both biologically and culturally.


References
"Adaptation, Institutions, and Development" 
"Andes Mountains"
"Andes Mountains" 
"Nutritional and Physical Degeneration: Chapter 14" 
"Three High-Altitude Peoples, Three Adaptations to Thin Air" 
"Zulu"

The Nacirema

Part A
The Nacirema highly emphasizes the significance of body rituals in a series of purification and healing practices. Their culture can be described as follows:

1. Hierarchical
   Nacirema culture involves a structural organization of medicine men, holy-mouth-men, and listeners. Their services are compensated through gifts, especially those of medicine men, who sit at the top of the hierarchical ladder. Medicine men wield so much power since they are believed to supply potions and charms that are absolutely imperative for the people's survival. Holy-mouth-men use magical tools to perform mouth-rites that are important for sustaining morality and healthy social relationships.  Lastly, listeners possess the power of exorcism by drawing upon traumatic experiences. In this system of organization, the Nacirema worship these practitioners and are extremely dependent on them for their well-being.
2. Routinized
   The body rituals of the Nacirema follow a routine pattern that occur several times throughout the year. For example, rituals are repetitive and performed everyday in the shrine room. Moreover, the Nacirema pay a routine visit to the holy-mouth-men annually, and specialized body rituals such as the special women's rites mentioned, are executed at a fixed number of times during lunar months. In this manner, the Nacirema engage their time in a standardized way that are specific to each cultural practice. 
3. Gendered
   It is noted that gender differences exist in the body rituals of the Nacirema. In the discussion of sadism, Miner states that the contrasting rituals among men and women involves factors of severity and incidence. Men are engaged in harsh rites that occur on a daily basis, but women endure even more brutal rituals that last longer even though they only occur a few times throughout the month.
4. Dedicated
   The description of the Nacirema body rituals allow us to see their extreme level of dedication. As part of their culture that is learned, the Nacirema participate in these activities no matter how stringent and regardless of the results. For example, regarding the mouth-rites, Miner mentions, "The extremely sacred and traditional character of the rite is evident in the fact that the natives return to the holy-mouth-men year after year, despite the fact that their teeth continue to decay." Even though the magic substances are counteracting, the Nacirema are extremely adherent to their conventional beliefs and rituals. Furthermore, this fact is illustrated when Miner mentions the dangerousness of the temple ceremonies which, "...may even kill the neophyte, in no way decreases the people's faith in the medicine men." This goes back to the idea that the Nacirema show the utmost respect for the medicine men and are completely committed to the rituals, as they place all their trust in them even when undergoing risky behavior.      
5. Secretive
   The body rituals are characterized by how incredibly intimate, secretive, and exclusive they are. Miner reveals that the ceremonies are met with reservation even among family members and are only shared with children for initiation purposes. Moreover, there is also a sense of mistrust as the Nacirema shed suspicion on parents for casting evil spirits in this process.  

Part B

1. As an American, I feel like my choice of words are fairly accurate to describe the culture. We are definitely a society that is highly dependent on people in positions of power. Since we live in a country with advanced healthcare and it is readily available, we respect medical professionals and seek their advice. It is not only in this aspect, but even in the political sphere - Americans look up to the president to provide the solution to critical issues. Moreover, America is a society that values physical appearance. In this manner, the definition of "beauty" is constantly changing, and we are dedicated to keeping up with such ideals by adapting different styles and looks. Women are more commonly known to be concerned about their appearance, and therefore engage in routinized activities such as putting on make-up and getting a tan, plastic surgery, or nails/hair done. 
2. The word "secretive" might reveal a bias since it suggests negative assumptions that the people cannot be trusted and can therefore be equated with deception or trickery. The word "gendered" can also indicate a sense of judgment because it implies discrimination, that the culture does not treat men and women equally. On the other hand, I feel that the words "hierarchical," "routinized," and "dedicated" are relatively neutral because they simply describe the organization and functionality of the rituals in an objective way, and not a subjective manner in how they behave when performing such practices.
3. As a result, the word "secretive" could be replaced with the description that their knowledge is highly specialized or individualized. On the other hand, I'm not sure if gender is a concept that can ever be free from bias.
4. It is imperative that we try to limit ethnocentrism when describing other cultures because it inhibits us from truly understanding them without taking into consideration the context in which they arise from. People all over the world come from extremely diverse biological, economic, and social backgrounds, and therefore judgments based on our personal viewpoints result from a myopic perspective that imposes the values of our culture onto theirs. However, I think it is extremist to say that it is possible to completely avoid personal bias. Like the article on ethnocentrism suggests, "everybody is ethnocentric," and a means of alleviating this problem is critical awareness, recognition, and acknowledgement when bias occurs. We can attempt to control for it but we must not be ignorant and instead be alert and conscious of it and the importance of its avoidance in our overall understanding of cultures other than our own.