Disciplinary Approaches 1.Linguistics: focus tends to be on the deep structure of language(s); langue, not parole; particular speech utterances not significant.

Disciplinary Approaches 2.Sociolinguistics: studies how linguistic behavior patterns relate to social groupings; correlates differences in linguistic behavior with variables defining social groups (age, gender, sexuality, class, race, etc.)

Disciplinary Approaches 3.Anthropological Linguistics: Views language through the prism of the core anthropological concept, culture; Seeks to uncover meaning behind the use, misuse, or non-use of language, its different forms, registers and styles; Peels away at language to find cultural understandings.

Culture Everything that people have, think and do as members of a society

Features of Culture At least minimally adaptive, allows group to survive Parts integrated, need holistic analysis Culture is always changing but different parts may change at different rates: culture lag

Humans and Culture Humans have innate capacity to learn culture but no genetic predisposition to learn a particular culture Humans are creatures of culture Humans are creators of culture

Instinct vs. Culture Biologically inborn Same for all members of a species Learned behavior Varies by culture

Overt Culture Aspects of culture one remembers learning Easy to teach to foreigners Examples –Some rules of etiquette –Important dates e.g. July 4th

Covert Culture Aspects of culture learned very gradually One doesn’t remember learning and is not conscious of knowing Appear to be instinctive Assume normal for all humans Difficult to put into words or explain

Covert Culture 2 Differences in covert culture account for most of the misunderstandings in cross- cultural communication’ Examples: –Handling of space –Handling of time –How one should express interest in what the other person is saying

Cultural Variation Culture is shared but there is always sub- group and individual variation Need to learn not only the rules but the acceptable range of deviation

Ethnocentrism Judge others according to the values of your own society Misinterpret other cultures because you use the concepts of your own culture

Ethnocentrism All societies are ethnocentric. Western ethnocentrism has had great impact on the world Relevance and impact of particular instances of ethnocentrism related to dominance and power

Cultural relativism Understand the values and customs of another culture in terms of that culture Make the effort to understand the other culture in its own terms Be hesitant about judging Try to understand, not necessarily to accept or agree

Moral relativism The position that there is no way for us as individuals to judge right from wrong. This would mean that, as individuals, we could never disapprove of what any society did. NOT PRACTICED BY ANTHROPOLOGISTS

When confronting the culturally unfamiliar React emotionally/ethnocentrically (privately when it is not appropriate to show your reaction) Suspend judgment, investigate, try to be culturally relative Reach a thoughtful personal judgment

Rhetorical patterns Organization of argument Importance of honesty Exaggeration/understatement Speaking as art Proper domains of talk Power of words Meaning of silence