Language

Week 3. LANGUAGE BLOG

Conversation is one of the form of communication

Part I.

Since I do not have any children. I asked my husband to do the experiment with me.

à The so called conversation didn’t last for 15 minutes. I do not think it’s a conversation at all because I never interact with him. We find the experiment difficult because there is no way we could communicate or have a conversation without any symbolic language like speaking, writing and sign language. For me in communication is a process of delivering a message through actions, words or signs. Communication is an action, interaction or transaction. It is next to impossible to have a conversation or communication without the factor of the process of delivering the message. Though I can see, hear, observe and understand what my husband is trying to express or say but since I could not use any symbolic language, there is no communication at all. It is like I’m blocking myself to the communication process.

à The impression is like talking to a wall or falling on deaf ears. No answer, no movement, no expression, no sign, no communication at all. Of course he altered the way he communicates with me. He’s somewhat confused of what he will do to communicate with him.

à English language is considered the international language. I think people who can speak the English language has the advantage of communicating complex ideas whereas for culture I think both has its own way of communicating process.  There is a big advantage of a speaking culture to culture of a non- symbolic speaking language. There is a barrier of communication. In a communication process there is a source, the message, the channel and the receiver. Once it block by the other, there is no communication at all. Aside from people with speech deficiencies one of the biggest problem in communication is the comprehension or understanding exactly what one has try to convey the message. Another problem is the culture diversity. Like many cultures though some speak in English but the accent is different so the there is a barrier of conveying the message. Another hindrance of communication is between the source and the receiver of the message (age, gender, culture, education level and the socio-economic status)

Part 2.

à Yes, communications last for 15 minutes since we both speak same language. It is somewhat difficult because I couldn’t use my facial expression, my voice intonation or body gestures.

à My husband is somewhat bored and not really interested in the conversation because its lack of total interaction in the communication process. Though I can talk but without the use of physical embellishments, he finds the conversation not interesting and decided to end the conversation after 15 minutes.

à Yes. Through the experiment I realize how it is important to use signs, gestures and expressions in communication. It is important to use signs, gestures, expressions and the appropriate intonation so one can convey of what one is trying to express.

à Yes. I would say depending on what culture a person has. When some of my body language could pertain a different meaning to the other unless if both came from different culture then body language or gesture is one of the easy access of communicating. There is evidence that gestures vary from culture to the other.

Part 3.

à Experiment 1 is easier if it permits to use written language if in the situation where both speak and write same language. However, there is no exact feeling to written words. Meaning, one can write “I love you” even if he doesn’t really mean it. Another barrier could be the use of written words grammars and punctuations could also affect what would somebody try to convey in the written language. On the other hand if it pertains to two different culture and uses different symbolic language that would be a big barrier of communication.

à Culture in many ways has its own language and expresses it through writing either in symbols or in words. Symbols and signs in a culture is a representation of culture history. It is a form of identity of the cultures past and present. It’s also a way to convey of what the culture is all about. It is also that their own language either written or verbal will preserve culture from generation toward to the next generations.

à Written language has a big impact toward globalization because through the written language laws were imposed, messages were properly given, convey people on what one has trying to express, people unite. Perhaps language is the most powerful human symbol for without it I believe there is no unity, no communication, and no history.

Environment and Adaptations
(Week 2 Blog, Updated)

Color of skin is one of rhe factor helps adaptation
to the geographical conditions

The Zulu are an African ethnic group whose members live mainly in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, which lies between the Indian Ocean to the east and the Drakensberg mountain range to the west. The province stretches from the borders of Mozambique and Swaziland in the north to the Umzimkhulu River in the south. This is an agriculturally fertile region, with the summer being a very productive season. The summer season between October and April is warm and rainy, while the winter between June and August is relatively cold and dry. Temperatures are moderate. The Zulu are bordered by the Swazi people to the north, the BaSotho to the west, and the Xhosa and Mpondo communities to the south. Sea temperatures are also relatively stable, averaging 21 degrees all year, providing possibilities for a diversity of aquatic activities in any season, including diving, fishing, swimming, boating and surfing.

One of the physical traits that helps them adapt their environment is the melanin of their skin, skin is more darker among Africans. As Africa is known for a very warm weather. Their physical traits (like body structure, hair, skin) helps them to adapt the weather and the geographical location as well. Thus it also shows how the Zulu's wear lighter clother or almost no clothes.

One cultural trait that helps them adapt the environment is  their house architectural design. Africans are very known for their straw hut or mud hut. The thatched roof, mud hut and the floor is made of material from ant hills and cow dung.

Clothing help people to adapt the geographic locations

The Andes is the longest continental mountain range in the world. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about 7,000 km (4,300 mi) long, about 200 km (120 mi) to 700 km (430 mi) wide (widest between 18° south and 20° south latitude), and of an average height of about 4,000 m (13,000 ft). The Andes extend from north to south through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.

One of the physical trait that Andean Indian is the color of the skin, most of them have brown to reddish skin. This is due to the cold weather and the elevation of the physical environment they live. Though much of the Andeans have a certain face features that you can identify them from the rest of the ethnic group. They have broad chin and well defined nose.

Since Andeans are well adapted to high altitude, they can easily adapt the cold weather too. The primitive lived in a cave while today most of them live in stone or cement houses. The house architectural design and the materials used us appropriate for the cold weather. Thus, they wear heavy clothing materials for them to help adapt from cold weather.

Conclusion:

The temperature or the climate state is one of the factors that both population have a difficult to maintain homeostasis. Human body maintains its stability while adjusting to the physical nature of the environment however if the system of the body can not maintain the equilibrium as a result a feedback may happen. Second is the geographical location. Factors like extreme heat or drought or extreme cold humans body have difficulty to maintain the equilibrium.

Many members of the ethnic groups look the same particularly in physical features because they live in one geographical area and same temperature. Their diet, socio-economic status, thie lifestyle, their life span as well as common diseases has also something to do with the geographical location as well as the geographical climate. According to the study when group of people share same diet in one geographical conditions, they believe that they also look similar.

If I have to choose a race that would identify each culture that would be Asians. Though many thought Asians live mostly in tropical lands then its not true. Japanese, Koreans, China has cold weather while the south part of Asian continental has tropical climate. Most Asians range from fair to brown skins so thus some physical traits identify  each culture. The geographical locations also like the Andeans many Philippine native particulary Ifugao’s live in mountain geographic land and also has cold climate. While the Bajao’s like the Zulu live near the shore and usually found in warm climate.

The adaptive approach is the reflection of what kind of race in a certain country or location has. Example, Asians main diet is rice thus they feel more satisfied when eating food with rice while Americans (Caucasians) have different diets. For me this only explains that adaptation can also identify the race of the people. Also many Caucasians can’t adapt well to a humid warm temperature while many Asians do. I do not think, there is a real comparison because I believe each ethnic groups is unique. Though when it comes to physical appearance you really can’t determine exactly what ethnic group people came from because human body tend to adapt and maintain an equilibrium to his environment.  Unless you know what are their practices and cultures then you can identify the ethnic group. The usefulness of adaptive approach is mainly for survival. When an ethnic group of people or individual adapt the nature environment factors (climate and the lifestyle) he or she can well survive.

As they say, "Culture not race explains human diversity". The use of race for me is to identify the culture of the person. I do not want to indicate race to the color of the skin or the physical features because for me it is just only an appearance. I could have brown skin but I am raise in America however I identify myself through the culture I practice thus I can tell my race.

Reference:

Britannica Encyclopedia Online

Beck, Roger B.; Linda Black, Larry S. Krieger, Phillip C. Naylor, Dahia Ibo Shabaka, (1999). World History: Patterns of   Interaction. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell. ISBN 0-395-87274-X.

Countries and their cultures. www.everyculture.com

South Africa travel and tours. www.southafricatravelandtours.com

Zulu people: Traditions and Cultures. www.africansmarket.com

Images from:

Yahoo. www.images.search.yahoo.com

Google. www.google.com/search

The Body Ritual of the Nacerima

The Nacerima is are the North American group living in the territory between the Canadian Cree, the Yaqui and theTarahumare of Mexico and the Crib and Arawak of the Antilles. Little known of their origin but are much known of their Body Ritual. American Anthropologist Horace Miner wrote a paper and was published in 1955.

Human Body- mainly as part of their ritual is the human body. Nacerima believe that human body is ugly and the fall down of human being because of illness and debility. Thus, they believe that having ceremonial and ritual activities is the only hope to avert the human body’s downfall physical characteristics.

Rituals- as all tribes and native people ritual are very holy and must keep secret. The sanctity of ritual also means the absolute effect of the superstitious power that is within. Nacerima has its own unique performance of rituals. For them the ritual possesses a powerful effect as being followed carefully. Some of the rituals are the focal point of the shrine is a box or chest which must built into the wall. Chest or the box where used to kept their potions and charms. These potions and charms were believed has a magical healing against illness and maladies. Each household has a shrine room where these box and chest built into the wall. Another body ritual performed was the mouth-rite. Nacerima believed that mouth as the opening part of the body was also the entrance of the illness into the body. Though the ritual was not humane, many of them believe that enduring the pain of ritual possess a powerful effect of the ritual.

Latipso- was ceremony conducted by the medicine men of the Nacerima community. The ceremony was performed in the temple.  Miner described the sadistic and inhumane way of ceremony.  Through the indoctrination of small children which they believed that prolonged the life of the children to the “protracted ritual purification” of sick adults. Part of the ceremony was being naked inside the temple which was for women cause of ridicule and manipulation where also believe that cleaning the excreta would help sick people to heal.

Listener- was another healing practitioner in the community. The author cited that, “Nacirema believe that parents bewitch their own children.” Thus, they also believed in the power of exorcism. The ceremony performed believed to be inhumane too as few individuals rejected their own family.

Ritual Life- many of the native people strongly believe in rituals either it could be humane or not. Before people were civilized many performed inhumane rituals. For them enduring the pain is also a symbol of the possess power against evil, illness, curse and maladies. Today, many people are still doing the rituals as part of their beliefs and culture. They performed these rituals to be part of the group they belong. However, many practice humane rituals. Rituals are sacred and to preserve the secrecy of ritual it has to be keep secret within the group.  As this ritual they are known to different and unique.

Nacerima's behavior is unique, believer of their culture,supertistious, ritualistic and inhumane.

1. The 4 adjectives I would still give it a credit to their behavior but the last adjective "inhumane" that I would change it.  Since I am not raised to their culture, I interpret it differently. For me the process of doing their ritual acivities are inhumane while to the Nacerima they see and interpret it as part of their culture, part of the group where they belong and they interpret it as normal way of expressing their beliefs and value it as part og the ethnic group. I do not think that Nacerima see, feel and interpret the inhumane way of their rituals. They see, feel, practice it with pride of their self belonging or identity.

2. Yes. I believe everyone of us exhibit ethnocentrism. I am bias because I am not one of them and my beliefs, practice, judgment and ethnicity is different from them. What I believe is wrong maybe right to them. The thing is I am in the right context to say something of what they are. Like I know one of the ethnic group in my country who eat dogs. That is one of their cultural practices and to them it is part of their identity. While here, we do not eat dogs instead we show love and care for our pets. You can not tell them to stop doing their ritual or practices because you can cause an aggravation and they might see it that you are not respectful.

Using the word "inhumane" is bias to me. Because I believe that hurting someone is an act of inhumane. While the words "unique, believer of their culture, supertistious,  and ritualistic" I consider it as unbiased. I believe each one of us is unique individual, believer in our culture, superstitious and ritualistic. As I mentioned being ritualistic doesn't mean you do the odd things or inhumane way.
Unique - because each one of us is created that way. Even twins are not the same.
Believer of their culture - people has its own ethnicity and we practice and believe in our culture. Superstitious - wary of things or believing of supernatural things. Most of the folk beliefs are superstitious. Ritualistic - is a behavior that someone is believing and practices something into symbolic value.

3. Instead of "inhumane" I should used "artistic". The way they do it, it is somewhat odd and you can see odd things through art. It is like abstract, their is always an interpretation of the figures which you or other people might interpret it differently. It is always considered a "taboo".

4. It is difficult to be not an ethnocentric. Since each one of us has different experiences, different practices, different beliefs, different culture. We tend to limit our reactions, our judgments into our own experiences, practices and beliefs. People have tendency to accept believable conclusions and the reject the unbelievable even if this is valid. This is what we called belief bias. It is important to describe another culture in a manner as free from personal cultural bias as possible because it is one way to understand ourselves. If we limit our reactions, observations, judgment thus we also limit ourselves of understanding people around us and ourselves as well. If we failed to do so, our culture fall short. Sometimes we give a mistaken impression that some cultures are better than others rather than unique. I believe that we can avoid personal bias and it is possible to avoid it through better understanding of different cultures, accepting that they are part of the world we are in and respecting each ideology, practices and beliefs.