Language and Communication

• Language is a structured system of symbols and rules for communication.
• Communication encompasses the broader sharing of information, ideas, and feelings, including non-verbal methods.
• Linguistics is the scientific study of language.
• Linguistic anthropology examines how language influences and reflects culture and society.
• Archaeological and biological evidence helps understand the development of human language capabilities.

Adaptations for Language

• Adaptations for language involve biological features like the vocal tract.
• Adaptations for language also involve brain regions, such as Broca's and Wernicke's areas.
• Preserving endangered languages protects cultural diversity and unique knowledge.
• Anthropologists study how societies produce, distribute, and consume resources, and focus on cultural aspects of economic systems.
• Modes of subsistence describe how societies sustain themselves, including foraging, horticulture, and agriculture.
• Forms of exchange and reciprocity, like gifting and bartering, highlight how societies foster relationships and meet needs.
• Industrialization and colonialism disrupted traditional economies and introduced new technologies.
• Industrialization and colonialism often caused cultural displacements.
• Forms of political organization range from bands to states, each with unique power structures and roles.
• Power is the ability to influence others.
• Authority is the legitimate right to influence, recognized by society.
• Religion, spirituality, and worldview define how people understand existence and their connection to the universe.
• Religious organizations include structures like churches, sects, and cults.
• Religious structures have unique leadership models, like priests and shamans.
• Magic involves practices believed to influence the world through supernatural means.
• Sympathetic and contagious magic are types of magic.
• Rituals are formalized acts with symbolic meaning, such as weddings and funerals.
• Migration is movement from one place to another.
• Mobility is the ability to move freely.
• Immigration involves settling in a new country.
• Globalization is the increasing interconnectedness of the world, with varying intensity and impact.
• Archaeological evidence from artifacts, settlement patterns, and genetic studies traces human movements.
• Colonialism involves domination by one power over another.
• Decolonization is the process of independence from colonial powers.
• Neocolonialism refers to continued influence, often economic or cultural, after decolonization.
• Refugees flee due to persecution or war.
• Displaced people move due to various causes including disasters or development projects.