Linguistic Anthropology
Chapter 1
Introduction
 What is linguistic anthropology?
 What is anthropology?
Introduction
 Anthropology is the study of humans and can include
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Culture
Language
Biology
Artifacts
Introduction
 Anthropology has four fields (four-field approach)
 Cultural anthropology (studies culture, behavior, and
beliefs)
 Archaeology (studies culture of people no longer alive;
analyzes artifacts)
 Physical/Biological (studies human origins, variation, and
evolution
 Linguistics (studies language, language change, and
cultural context
 Anthropologists have a base in all four and a
specialization in one
Linguistic Anthropology
 Linguistic Anthropology Analyzes:
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Structure and patterns of language
Language in cultural context
How language is learned and how it changes
How language is used as power
How language is connected to cultural identity
The ideas we hold about language
Anthropology
 Anthropology is holistic
 It tries to see the whole picture
 This is why we use all four fields
 We also use other disciplines
 And we apply it to the real world
Anthropology
 We will use the comparative approach
 We will compare different languages and cultures
 We will focus on similarities and not only on differences
 We will use cultural relativity
 Different cultural ideas can seem weird to us
 We will refrain from judgment
 We will try to see things through the eyes of those who
practice them
Anthropology
 We will avoid ethnocentrism
 Judging others by one’s own terms
 Two types:
 1. using your own system to understand what someone else
is doing
 2. insisting that only your system is the correct way to
interpret something
Anthropology
 Example:
 The Buddhist religion views the soul as continuing on
past death; this is similar to Christian views
 But Buddhists believe in reincarnation and several
different types of hell; this is not correct because the
Christian view says those who die either go to heaven
or hell
Anthropology
 Example:
 This island culture uses shells as currency, very similar
to our practice of using paper or metal as currency
 This culture does not have “real” money because shells
aren’t worth anything
Frames of Reference
 We have to shift our frames of reference:
 How we see the world
 The lenses that we look through (determined by culture)
 Language and culture are not the same thing, but they
are interrelated
 Sapir (1884-1939) discussed worldview: how we
experience the world around us
 How might language affect or be affected by worldview?
Frames of Reference
 If we study other languages and other cultures, do we
have to change our cultural identities?
 Can we shift our frames of references without
drastically changing our worldviews?
Video
 Video Log:
 Fluent in 11 Languages:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpSCTr0JfLo
 Questions:
 What technique does he use to learn languages?
 How does this video show the ability to switch
worldview or frames of reference?
Assignment
 ICA#1: Read “Shakespeare in the Bush” and discuss:
 Is the understanding of Hamlet the same crossculturally?
 What are examples of shifting frames of reference?
 What are examples of cultural relativity?
Fieldwork
 Anthropologists collect data through fieldwork, or going
into areas and working with a cultural group
 Participant observation: immerse yourself into the
culture and participate in daily life as if you were native
(involves learning language)
 Observations
 Interviewing key respondents or key informants
 Must avoid enthocentrism
Fieldwork
 Fieldwork began with Franz Boaz (1858-1942), the
Father of American Anthropology
 Until him, the practice was “armchair anthropology”
 Can you really learn about a culture by reading about
them in a book?
 There was also a tendency to categorize people, and
Boaz rallied against this
 It’s all about cultural relativity!
Fieldwork
 There can be cultural miscommunications.
 Read box on pg. 8
Fieldwork
 Fieldwork is also considered a right of passage and an
initiation for becoming a real anthropologist
Ethics
 When conducting fieldwork, there are ethical
considerations
 Work must not harm (and should benefit!) those studied
 Must keep information confidential
 Must adhere to strict rules of conduct
Ethics
 Researchers get IRB approval before collecting any
data
 Must collect informed consent from all participants
before collecting data
 Informs them of risks and benefits
 Explains the project
 Explains they can stop participating at any time
Ethical Dilemmas
 Read the two ethical dilemma situations (I will put them
on overhead). What would you do in these situations?
Linguistics Introduction
 What is a language?
 What are the rules for defining a language?
 Video: What Makes a Real Language:
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/are-elvish-klingon-dothrakiand-na-vi-real-languages-john-mcwhorter
How Do We Get New Words?
 The word “robot”: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/mysteriesof-vernacular-robot-jessica-oreck-and-rachael-teel
Homework #1
 Read article “Tripping and Tricking” (on portal) and
complete the questions. This is due next class.
 1. What is a key respondent?
 2. What were some challenges with respondents the
author chose?
 3. Describe 3 examples of fieldwork we discussed in
lecture.
 4. What was the “single most important” technique for
building trust?
 5. What are some of the author’s ethical dilemmas?