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Questions and Answers
What was the conclusion of Franz Boas regarding cranial measurements among European descendants in the US?
What was the conclusion of Franz Boas regarding cranial measurements among European descendants in the US?
What does systemic racism primarily rely on?
What does systemic racism primarily rely on?
What was a key issue with the G.I. Bill of 1944 in relation to race?
What was a key issue with the G.I. Bill of 1944 in relation to race?
Which of the following describes redlining?
Which of the following describes redlining?
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What are the political harms associated with cultural appropriation?
What are the political harms associated with cultural appropriation?
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What is settler colonialism primarily concerned with?
What is settler colonialism primarily concerned with?
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Which of the following statements is true about the Iroquois League?
Which of the following statements is true about the Iroquois League?
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How does tribal citizenship typically get determined?
How does tribal citizenship typically get determined?
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What is a significant limitation faced by federally recognized tribal nations in the US today?
What is a significant limitation faced by federally recognized tribal nations in the US today?
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What characterizes the land designated for Native use by the US government?
What characterizes the land designated for Native use by the US government?
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What issue did the Standing Rock pipeline protest primarily address?
What issue did the Standing Rock pipeline protest primarily address?
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What is 'blood quantum' in the context of tribal citizenship?
What is 'blood quantum' in the context of tribal citizenship?
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What do the scandals involving Rachel Dolezal and Jessica Krug highlight?
What do the scandals involving Rachel Dolezal and Jessica Krug highlight?
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What was the primary occupation of the Hutu population?
What was the primary occupation of the Hutu population?
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Which colonial power exacerbated ethnic tensions between Hutu and Tutsi?
Which colonial power exacerbated ethnic tensions between Hutu and Tutsi?
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Which of the following conditions is an example of structural violence?
Which of the following conditions is an example of structural violence?
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How were the Hutu and Tutsi originally viewed before colonial influence?
How were the Hutu and Tutsi originally viewed before colonial influence?
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What significant change occurred in Rwanda in 1959?
What significant change occurred in Rwanda in 1959?
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Which issue does Paul Farmer emphasize in his work related to war?
Which issue does Paul Farmer emphasize in his work related to war?
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What is NOT an example of 'stupid deaths' as defined in the context provided?
What is NOT an example of 'stupid deaths' as defined in the context provided?
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What describes stateless nations in the context of the content provided?
What describes stateless nations in the context of the content provided?
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What is a phenotype primarily concerned with?
What is a phenotype primarily concerned with?
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Which of the following statements reflects a core idea of the race myth?
Which of the following statements reflects a core idea of the race myth?
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According to the content, how much genetic variation is there within racial groups compared to between them?
According to the content, how much genetic variation is there within racial groups compared to between them?
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What does scientific racism typically assume about different races?
What does scientific racism typically assume about different races?
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Which characteristic is NOT mentioned as an observable phenotype?
Which characteristic is NOT mentioned as an observable phenotype?
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What is one major reason why racial classifications are considered culturally varied?
What is one major reason why racial classifications are considered culturally varied?
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What is emphasized as a significant misconception regarding phenotypes?
What is emphasized as a significant misconception regarding phenotypes?
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Which condition is cited as an example of characteristics that may provide evolutionary advantages?
Which condition is cited as an example of characteristics that may provide evolutionary advantages?
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What distinguishes human language from nonhuman primate communication systems?
What distinguishes human language from nonhuman primate communication systems?
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Which characteristic is inherent to human linguistic capabilities but absent in call systems of nonhuman primates?
Which characteristic is inherent to human linguistic capabilities but absent in call systems of nonhuman primates?
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What is a key function of kinesis in communication?
What is a key function of kinesis in communication?
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What does the gene FOXP2 contribute to in humans?
What does the gene FOXP2 contribute to in humans?
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In descriptive linguistics, which area focuses on the structure of speech sounds?
In descriptive linguistics, which area focuses on the structure of speech sounds?
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Which of the following statements about morphology is true?
Which of the following statements about morphology is true?
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Which of the following describes the productivity of language?
Which of the following describes the productivity of language?
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What role does cultural transmission play in language development?
What role does cultural transmission play in language development?
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What does 'displacement' in human language refer to?
What does 'displacement' in human language refer to?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of nonhuman primate call systems?
Which of the following is a characteristic of nonhuman primate call systems?
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Study Notes
Linguistic Anthropology
- Focuses on diversity, comparison, and changes in language
- Reconstructs ancient languages by analyzing modern descendant languages
- Explores the role of language in colonization and globalization
### Language
- Spoken and written as primary means of communication
- Transmitted through learning
- Based on arbitrary learned associations between words and things they represent
- Primary means of communication, but not the only means
Linguistic Differences
- Reveal varied worldviews and patterns of thought across cultures
Nonhuman Primate Communication
- Call Systems: Limited number of sounds produced in response to specific environmental stimuli
Sign Language
- Apes communicating with humans using gestures
- American Sign Language (ASL) uses a limited set of gestures analogous to sounds in spoken language
Cultural Transmission
- Communication through learning as a fundamental attribute of language
- Productivity: speakers use language rules to create new expressions understood by others
Displacement
- Absent in call systems
- Humans can discuss objects, places, and events not currently present
- Allows for communication about the past and future
The Origin of Language
- FOXP2 Gene: A mutated gene that explains why humans speak and chimps don't
- Individuals with non-speech version of the gene have difficulty with fine tongue and lip movements for speech
Nonverbal Communication
- Kinesis: Study of communication through body movements, stances, gestures, and expressions
- Intonation, pitch, pauses, and even silence convey meaning
- Cultural differences in interpretation of nonverbal cues
The Structure of Language
Descriptive Linguistics
- Scientific study of a spoken language
- Focuses on grammar elements
- Examines phonology, morphology, lexicon, and syntax
Phonology
- Study of speech sounds in a language
- Determines which sounds are present and meaningful in a language
Morphology
- Study of how sounds combine to form meaningful units
- Morphemes are meaningful units of speech
- Morphemes include words and their meaningful parts
Rwandan Ethnic Conflict
- Hutu (~85%): Primarily farmers
- Tutsi (~15%): Mainly pastoralists, historically linked to monarchy
- Class and division of labor differences
- Historically distinct groups were not ethnically separated
- Belgium colonialism imposed an ethnic hierarchy, elevating Tutsi and marginalizing Hutu
- Rwandan Ethnic Identification Card introduced in 1959 during independence
- Escalation of conflict led to the Genocide in 1994
Other Former Colonies with Similar Ethnic Tensions:
- Cyprus: Greeks and Turks
- Sri Lanka: Tamils and Sinhalese
Paul Farmer (1995-2022)
- Pioneer of medical anthropology
- Physician and activist
- Emphasized the role of political and social circumstances in conflict and suffering
Stupid Deaths
- Deaths resulting from solvable issues but left unaddressed
Structural Violence
- Social conditions that harm people routinely including: poverty, corruption, neglect, war, corporate greed
- Lack of access to basic needs, resources and opportunities
Stateless Nations
- Groups identifying as a nation without recognition by any state
- Example: Kurdistan
Tribal Nations
- Indigenous peoples of North America, migrated from Asia around 1200 years ago
- Pre-Columbian population estimated at 18 million
- Over 300 spoken languages (half now extinct)
- Colonization and displacement contributed to language decline
Settler Colonialism
- Foreign people occupy a region, seeking to replace native inhabitants with a new society
- The US is a settler colonial society with origins in English, primarily British, colonization
Iroquois League
- Pre-colonial governing confederacy of six Iroquoian-speaking nations: Cayuga, Oneida, Onandaga, Seneca, and Mohawk
- Model of a state constitution
- Precursor to the American system of democracy
Tribal Nations Today
- 547 federally recognized (as of 2022)
- Each led by tribal councils, with limited political sovereignty
- Members are also US citizens
- Maintain traditional systems and limited sovereignty over their lands and taxation
Native Reservations
- Land set aside by the US government for Native use and control
- Over 300 miles of reservation land overlapping Canada and the United States
- Many Native Americans live on reservations due to land loss
- Standing Rock pipeline protests highlighted environmental concerns and opposition to pipeline construction on sacred land
Tribal Citizenship
- Determined by individual tribes
- May require blood quantum (certain amount of Native ancestry)
- Native citizenship focuses on community and belonging
- Ancestry alone doesn't guarantee citizenship
"Mohawk Interruptus" by Audra Simpson
- Examines the limitations of Native sovereignty in the face of border control
Race and Ethnicity
- Recent scandals involving Rachel Dolezal and Jessica Krug highlight the issue of racial identity and belonging
Phenotype
- Observable physical characteristics of an organism
- Influenced by genetic traits and environmental conditions
- Skin tone, eye shape, and hair color are phenotypic traits
Scientific Racism
- Unsound scientific theories used to legitimize racial hierarchies
Phrenology
- Belief that skull measurements indicate intelligence and racial differences
- White Europeans were associated with longer foreheads (deemed intelligent)
The Race Myth
- Race is a flawed classification system with no biological basis
- Uses physical characteristics to create supposedly discrete groups
Evidence against the Biological Reality of Race:
- Humans share more similarities than differences across "racial" groups
- No genetic traits unique to any "racial" group
- More genetic variation within "racial" groups than between them
- Racial taxonomies are culturally varied, not scientifically objective
Franz Boas
- Challenged phrenology by studying cranial plasticity in European immigrants
- Found that cranial size varied significantly across generations due to environmental factors
Systemic Racism
- Institutional structures that perpetuate racist attitudes
- Examples: "G.I. Bill," redlining
The "G.I. Bill"
- A law passed to provide benefits to World War Two veterans
- Denied benefits to Black veterans
Redlining
- Denying financial services to residents of certain areas due to race or ethnicity
- Currently illegal but legacies persist
Cultural Appropriation
- Taking or using aspects of someone else's heritage without permission or compensation
- Can be inappropriate, harmful, or unwelcome
Political Harms of Cultural Appropriation
- Disrespect for sacred symbols
- Distortion and misuse of cultural expressions
- Commercialization of cultural heritage
- Loss of artistic control
- Loss of livelihood
- Reinforcement of unequal power dynamics
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Description
This quiz delves into the key concepts of linguistic anthropology, exploring how language varies across cultures and its role in colonization and globalization. You will also learn about communication methods in humans and nonhuman primates, including sign language and call systems. Test your knowledge on the diverse ways language shapes our worldviews.
