Symbolism, Language and Classification Flashcards
Explain Dunbar’s theory on why humans developed such a complex language? (2)
Speech allows individuals to groom more individuals at once as it allows communication with those behind you, out of sight or in the dark which other forms of language eg gesturing cannot do.
Our pre-human ancestors groups grew to large and became too complex for grooming to remain the primary means of communication and bond forming.
What’s the difference between human and animal symbolism? (2)
Animal symbolism: shallow, one meaning
Human symbolism: deep, complex, conveys more than one meaning and can be interpreted in different ways
What’s the main difference between a sign and a symbol? (2)
A sign objectively represents something - an idea, an experience, a feeling, an object - whereas a symbol can represent many different things subjectively.
What does turner mean by ‘ritual symbolism’? (2)
A small number of objects which have more or less generally shared meanings within a culture
Eg the cross in Christianity
How and why is the milk tree symbolic to the ndembu? (3)
It exudes a white latex when the bark is scratched.
It’s representative of a woman’s breast.
It represents a matrilineal kinship system.
Explain geertz’ ‘culture as text’ (1 + 1 bonus)
‘The culture of a people is an ensemble of texts which the anthropologist strains to read over the shoulders of those to whom they properly belong’
Anthropology is not a science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning
Finish this quote ‘man is an animal suspended in…’ (1) who said this? (1)
…webs of significance he himself has spun’
- Geertz
Why does Bourdieu think language can also be used politically as well as to communicate? (4)
The language we use reflects our status
For example the more educated you are the better your vocabulary which generally reflects your class
The language we use differs depending on the outcome we want to achieve
For example if you want to scare people into doing something for you then you might raise your voice to make them feel inferior
Why is the language of the San bushmen in Southern Africa thought by some to be our earliest primitive language? (4)
It’s ethnically different from that of surrounding countries such as Namibia and Botswana
It’s a distinctive click language meaning it’s much less developed than our current one today
It’s genome can be traced back 50,000 years to the earliest known humans
They adopt the hunter gather lifestyle of the earliest humans.
What did Dunbar notice was a very common activity amongst primate groups? What is the reason for this taking place? (2 + 1 bonus)
Grooming each other.
It develops social bonds within the group
However if the groups are too large then grooming cannot take place effectively.
