Quiz 2
Due June 5
Linguistic Anthropology
(35 points possible)
Take-home, open-book quiz
The more accurate your definitions, the more particular your descriptions of
case studies, and the more critical analysis and logic used to discuss ‘how’ and
‘why’, the more points you will receive.
If you would like to prepare your answers and then give them to me orally
during my office hours instead of writing them as essays, we can set up a
time. You can also prepare a video answering the questions, if that is easier.
1. Language socialization (8 points)
a. Define the language socialization paradigm and the three methodology
criteria connected with appropriate study of language socialization.
b. What is affective stance and what part does it play in how caregivers react
to their infant charges? How does affective stance influence linguistic and
cultural diversity?
c. Choose to discuss and describe a comparison of Gapun and Kaluli language
socialization differences or a comparison of common U.S. compared with
common Japanese language socialization differences. Base your comparisons
on the studies described in your text and lecture materials.
2. Speech communities (3 points)
a. Define speech community and community of practice, based on your text
book descriptions.
b. How would you categorize Apaches and silence, as described by Basso, into
your definitions? Why? What are your reasons?
c. How would you categorize Quakers and silence, as described by Bauman,
into your definitions? Why? What are your reasons?
3. Multilingualism (4 points)
a. Define bilingualism, multilingualism, diglossia and triglossia.
b. Why are so many North Americans unilingual when so much of the rest of
the world is bilingual or multilingual?
c. Explain in some detail why so many Arab societies are diglossic and why so
many African societies are triglossic.
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4. Performance (4 points)
a. Describe Richard Bauman’s explanation of performance in regard to
language.
b. How does Bauman explain and interpret genres and keys in performance of
language and why are they important in understanding the meaning of
everyday talk?
c. How does Judith Butler explain performativity in regard to language?
d. How does she apply concepts of performativity to gender?
5. Performance and “Portraits of the Whiteman” (8 points)
a. Throughout this part of the quiz take into consideration the larger
background and context that Keith Basso set up for us in his essay
“Portraits of the Whiteman”.
b. Choose a scene or two to focus on from Basso’s ethnographic account.
c. Describe the scene(s) through Dell Hymes’s methodology for ethnography
of speaking. (S-P-E-A-K-I-N-G) In other words, what do we know about
deeper social and cultural meanings by describing the setting, participants,
ends, act sequences, keys, instrumentalities, norms, and genres of the
scene(s) you chose?
6. Literacy (8 points)
a. Define oral literacy/verbal art and written literacy and briefly acknowledge
the concerns about the term oral literacy.
b. What are the strengths and benefits of oral literacy according to text book
and article authors and the speakers in some of the videos that we watched
in class?
c. What are the strengths and benefits of written literacy according to the text
book and article authors?
d. What did Dorothy Lee conclude about the dangers of literacy and how we
could work to avoid them?
e. Describe the power of oral literacy in the example Red Kangaroo Dreaming.
f. In some detail, how would you address Lee’s concerns in the context of the
purposes and effectiveness of oral literacy as described in Red Kangaroo
Dreaming? Can the senses, emotions, understanding of responsibility and
ecological knowledge be transferred as effectively outside of oral literacy?
Why or why not?
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