Language Experiment

Part 1

Not talking is difficult. The first 5 minutes of the full 15 were the hardest though because my partner and I tried to carry a full two person conversation. But it was very difficult because I couldn’t hold up my side of the conversation so I became frustrated. Eventually we both adjusted and my partner took over the talking part and I simply responded with movements. It was funny because as I started using more hand movements my partner did also. I also found exaggerated movements were better to use while I couldn’t talk because they could express more than the basic answers. 

For this experiment my partner definitely had the advantage because he was able to express precisely what he meant without m having to guess the meaning. He had to always follow up questions to fully understand my responses to him. Talking definitely helps in communicating ideas faster. Speaking cultures might think those that can’t have a problem or something is wrong. I could sense this when my partner tried to accommodate me but failed to hide his impatience at times.

Part 2

No I was not able to last the full 15 minutes because physical embellishments come so natural that it’s hard to stop. The conversation was difficult to follow for my partner because he couldn’t interpret what I was really saying with my words. He was mostly confused with my jokes and phrases that had double meanings because he couldn’t read my face, tone of voice, and body language. This experiment tells me that communication is an art of both speech and body. To fully understand what another is saying listeners take cues from body language to interpret words and how to take it. People who understand body language can better understand situations and people’s moods if they heed body language. A benefit to not reading body language is that we are able to keep thoughts to ourselves better. We can lie or pretend but because of body language these things can be found out. For instance they say arched eyebrows and dilated pupils means that a person was surprised and this can come in handy when you are trying to find a lie in a person’s story.

Part 3

The written language would have been easier in part 1 because I could get specific and complex ideas out but doing so would have delayed response time and taken away my focus on the speaker. The written language though it could cost me time in real time conversation, it does have its advantages in preserving conversations and history. People don’t have perfect memory so the use of written language helps to remember the past and even to promote it by spreading it around. Now that the written language is more easily accessible communication and sharing is made easier.

The Zulu & The Andean Peoples

The Zulu

The Zulu are an African ethnic group located in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. The area experiences two seasons, summer and winter. During the summer season which runs from October to April the average temperature is 24 degrees in celsius. This area sees lots of sunshine, about 320 days of it, and therefore tends to be hot and dry with a few quick showers here and there. The winter months from June to August establishes a respite from the heat by providing cold nights. Although, since it is still South Africa, it still sees lots of sunshine, humidity, and dry weather during the day with an average temperature of 20 degrees in Celsius. 

Consequently, with the sun out throughout most of the year physical adaptations have taken place along thousands of years so that the people of the area can be better suited for survival. For instance, they adapted to produce larger amounts of pigment melanin so that the sun cannot cause them stress. WIth darker skin produced with an increased production of pigment melanin they can largely avoid harmful affects of the suns constant damaging rays.

Another way in which the Zulu have adapted is with the use of their houses or umuzi. They have culturally adapted to the sunny environment by creating houses that provide them relief from the often times oppressive heat. These structures are generally round made out of mud, grass, cow dung, and soil. They are able to avoid the sun this way and the soil and cow dung placed on the floor helps to also provide a cooler area. In the center of these structures are the kitchens. The kitchen is basically a hearth to have a fire. Fires in these structures would become useful during the cold winter nights. Thus, these umuzis help alleviate the environmental stress of heat and cold nights for them.

I would describe them as African/Black because they follow the same physical patterns like very similar skin color, body proportions and type of hair.  would describe them as this race because they simply fit the popularized definition of the African race. Although in this way calling them this inhibits us from knowing their culture because the population and cultural background of Zulu is very distinct and rich in its own history, just like the other different cultures in Africa. 

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Zulu.aspx

http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Rwanda-to-Syria/Zulu.html#b

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/82e12/fb4/

http://www.zulu-culture.co.za/zulu_crafts.php

http://www.southafrica.info/travel/advice/climate.htm

http://www.southafrica.com/kwazulu-natal/climate/

The Andean Indians

The Andean Indians live on a different environment than the Zulu. The Andean Indians reside on the Andes Mountain where they insist in living at about 10,000 feet or more above sea level. This can be dangerous in that breathing can be difficult as this level. The Andes Mountain is one of the largest and highest peaks there is. The temperatures vary on the location but these areas can typically reach freezing temperatures. Climates can range from wet and warm to dry and warm with average temperatures of 64 to 68 degrees in fahrenheit depending on location and altitude.

The environmental stress Andean Indians face is altitude. At 10,000 feet or more breathing can be difficult but because this group has lived there for thousands of years they have physically adapted to it. Because their location is so high the oxygen intake should be difficultt due to lower pressurized air but because, again, they’ve lived their for thousands of years they have physically adapted to it by increasing the sizes of lungs and the production of more hemoglobin. Both help to increase the flow of oxygen through their system. 

Another way in which the Andean Indian adapted is through their cultural use of coca leaves. Coca leaves are used for cocaine in parts of the world and the Andean Indians use of the leaf has created some controversy over it. Other nations are calling those who use it to put a stop on it but because of the high altitude they live in coca leaves are an essential part of their lives. Chewing coca leaves, as the Andean people do, helps to settle the stomach of aches and hunger and as medicine from altitude sickness. 

To choose a race I would describe them as Mexicans because they, again, share physical similarities in the face.

Adaptation v Race

Categorizing the Zulu and the Andean people to a race because of their appearance wouldn’t explain anything about their individual cultures. Looking at the different adaptations of each would be more helpful for the anthropologist because a group of people can end up looking like another group but they can still end up being different and separate from each other. Good research is needed to understand any group of peoples so I don’t think categorizing through similar appearances is very helpful because it wouldn’t mean much culturally.

http://en.mercopress.com/2008/03/07/andean-indians-coca-leaves-chewing-habit-in-un-controversy

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/23548/Andean-peoples

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/23548/Andean-peoples

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/andes_climate.htm

Nacerima : ways of life

(part A)

FIXATED
The people of Nacerima seem to fixate at their physical appearance and their ties to other people. These two categories interlink with not only with the routine activities they engage in but also to each other as well. Their ties to people are garnered directly from their physcial appearance and to safegaurd these social relationships they endure not only time consuming routines but also painful ones. For instance, they go to holy-mouth-men and have mouth-rites all because they want friends. They built shrines to which they can complete rituals that they believe would help them with their appearance and get them friends.


MATERIALISTIC
Nacerima were also materialistic. For instance powerful individuals had more than one shrines when their counterparts could do with one. Another example is the medicine man's demands of gifts, substantial ones too. If though people aren't able to give them gifts then the medicine man will not lend his assistance, even if the need was dire. This shows how materialistic the are because they value materials over a person's life.


SUPERSTITIOUS
The Nacerima were also a people of superstition. They believed in a whole array of magics, rituals and potions and how they could benefit from them. Even when said potions and procedures could not fully give them what they need they went ahead with the process anyway because they "believed" in it. They were superstitious that going to the holy-mouth-men and mouth rites would draw friends to them. They had shrines where they kept their magical potions and chests.


MASOCHISTIC
They were also masochistic. Their rituals were littered with acts that, in varying degrees, were painful. Their rituals to the holy-mouth-men consisted of having teeth pulled and holes put in them. The men cut there faces daily with sharp objects and women would put their heads in ovens. They would willingly walk into Latipso's and commit themselves for torture and discomfort.


DISCONTENT
The Nacerima were also discontented with themselves. They were not happy with how they looked and so they would physically alter their appearance. Their fundamental belief that the human body was ugly was definitely a driving factor for being discontented. They had practices that made the fat thin and vice versa. They also engaged in activities that either enlarged or lowered it in size.


(part B)

1. (5 pts) As an American, how do you feel about your choice of descriptive words in Part A? 

I agree with the words I chose for the most part. They do describe a large number of people in America although maybe I used too soft a word because I didn't want to sound rude or too judgmental so I chose words that were "nicer" But, now that I'm seeing it is America I'm talking about I feel a little different towards it, like I want to justify these actions.

2. (5 pts) Do any of your choices exhibit ethnocentrism on your part? In other words, do any of your descriptive words reveal a judgment of the Nacerima rooted in your own cultural bias? Are any of your words free of bias? Identify the words you feel are biased and unbiased and explain your reasoning. 

I think my words are bias because I used "nicer" words to describe them because I saw similarities with America. All of them are bias really because I had the thought that America was similar as I read so I chose words that wouldn't be too bad. 

3. (5 pts) For any of the words that are biased, can you provide alternate words that are free of bias but communicate the same explanatory information and intent of your original word? 

Maybe obsessed, overly insecure, shallow and vain.

4. (5 pts) From this experience, reflect on the importance of avoiding ethnocentric judgments when describing other cultures. Why is it important to describe another culture in a manner as free from personal cultural bias as possible? Do you think it is possible to completely avoid personal cultural bias as a Cultural Anthropologist? 

I don't think it's possible to completely avoid cultural bias simply because sometimes it comes so natural as it hard to see how where when it starts. It's ingrained in us too much so it's become our immediate response. It's important, though, to leave cultural bias out to fully understand another person and their culture beyond simple words and actions. The reasons to the whys are answered and better understood when we have no bias.