Language: "Pahk The Cah in Hahvahd Yahd"...Dialects and Code-switching.

     Language makes the world go 'round; I know it's cliche, but its absolutely true. It allows humans to communicate via words, stories, news, books, television, orally, and through self expression. Language is officially defined as, “A system of arbitrary vocal symbols that human beings use to encode their experience of the world and to communicate with one another” (Schultz, 34).

     Dialects (or accents pertaining to certain regions) can give hints as to where a person is living, or where they grew up. Just this semester I transferred from a school up in New England to here at Towson University. When I would talk to people, I wouldn't tell them right away where I was from. But from my accent, they could pick up I was from Massachusetts, and more specifically the Boston area. To me, it didn't seem like I even had an accent, I thought the people I was talking to had a Southern accent if anything. With just a few sentences, or the way I said a word, people whom I had never met before could tell where I was from. Dialects can reveal to a person know what region someone is from, where they might have traveled to, where their family might have originated; they can give an anthropologist or just a normal-everyday-person a look into the lifestyles of people. They have the possibility of showing a persons educational level, and economic status among other qualities.

     A way that a person could hide or deter their educational level and economic status is by code-switch. Schultz defines code-switch as, “Speakers generally using each code in mutually exclusive settings, switching back and forth between codes as the situation demands” (43). So basically a person who is capable of using two or more languages or dialects being able to switch their “code” to fit the situation that they are put into. For example, a person who is well educated might use correct grammar and a large vocabulary around other students to make them sound equally as smart, but while hanging out with friends made outside of school, the same person might use a lot of slang and a smaller vocabulary to fit in with his or her not as educated peers.

     Just this week I have filled out twenty something job applications in hopes that some business around here will employ a broke college student. Almost half the applications were done online, but for the paper ones, when I would turn them in to the store, I would speak to the managers in a more eloquent fashion. I was speaking more professionally to come off as more intelligent and leave a better impression. I know that how I speak with the managers of the stores is different than the way I speak on the phone with my mom, or while I am out with friends. This code-switching can be done to sway the way a person see's you.

Ethnocentrism

     Why must cultures think that their people are better than the people in other cultures? From centuries ago, many people (and cultures) around the globe have had ethnocentric tendencies. Ethnocentrism is, as stated in the Webster Dictionary, “Characterized by or based on the attitude that one's own group is superior”. In this theory, things quickly turn into “us” and “them” situations. Groups and societies are compared to each other in unjust ways; this places groups of people with titles such as savage, barbaric, uncivilized on the lower end of the spectrum and civilized, and proper.

     While many anthropologists in the past have studied aspects of ethnocentrism, it can be found in many cases in history books. With colonization, countries like Britain, and France had control over lands far away from the base country. With this control, politics, medical, social, and economic factors were forced upon the territories that were being colonized. The territories that were being inhabited were viewed as having less culture (which is a matter of opinion).

     A modern approach to this theory can be found in the way that more “powerful” nations and countries are going to what is viewed as “third world” countries. Anthropologists might ask, Why does this society keep these old traditions?, and What is it that allows this society to remain orderly and harmonious to their standards?. One example is moving companies overseas, this is an economically smart move for the company; at the same time it makes the native people of that land look like they are lesser civilized (it provides jobs for people of that area, but these jobs aren't the natural and traditional jobs of the people that have been there over time). A political aspect on modern ethnocentrism could be found over in the Middle East. While the people that live there have their own systems of how things work, democratic views are still being pushed there to try to make life easier and more modern. While the culture in this region was not harmonious in recent years, trying to push a different or “better” view/system makes this an ethnocentric example.

     Different nations have alternate views on what works as orderly, and harmonious in their environment. Change is not always the answer, even when one person might be thinking they are helping the nation out by influencing their views onto the more “primitive” nation. Only the people that have grown up in that society can fully understand the workings, and what make it tick. Anthropologists emerge themselves in these societies to try to understand more about the people, while economists and political figures do not always (and thus can not always make the right choices). By understanding what ethnocentrism is, it is easier to know that it is better to not be judgmental, and allow each society to thrive on the traditions that it has kept, and allow the society to advance in its own ways. This does not mean that anthropologists should not continue to ask questions though!

The Similarities and Differences.

     Anthropology can be found in any aspect of human life. Seeing as it is a study of humanity, it can be holistically linked to human life. The four sub-fields of Anthropology (cultural, archeology, physical, and linguistics) cover human history from past to present, and into the future.

     The concept that caught my interest the most was the concept of cultural and visual Anthropology. The visual concept deals with things such as films, photos, and art. I learned that while studying cultural anthropology a person will become acquainted with different cultures and what makes up the cultures unique in parts of the world, the varied customs that go along with the cultures, how relationships are formed in cultures and the strengths of the bonds between people, and even more topics that build into a culture.

     Cultural anthropology can be seen in many places in the everyday world. The Internet and news relay constant information coming from places around the globe. It is easy to just jump online and research an entire culture, in moments you can know their location, how long they have been around, and current events about the culture. Television displays aspect of cultural anthropology; on the news and with television shows. With the TV shows, it gives a visual insight into what cultures deem important enough to make it on air. Photos provide snapshots (and freeze time), and while the photograph could have been meant to be artistic in nature, it could very well describe and show the beauty of a place or group of people.

     I would say that I affect cultural anthropology as much as it affects me. I am living in a culture that will one day be studied, and I have the chance to make an impact in this current culture...I can change things going on right now in this place and time. But at the same time, understanding cultural anthropology does affect me as well. By knowing what different cultures are experiencing currently, this directly influences economics and politics which directly have an effect on me.

     While this is only my first anthropology class, I have a huge interest in learning about the different groups and cultures that are on this planet. I love learning about far away places and the people that live there. It is even more interesting for me to learn that while yes, we might have very different cultures and customs, that we also have similarities.