We Take the Many Aspects of Communication for Granted!

Part 1- No form of language
 This part of the experiment was extremely difficult. What I had told my friend, who played the role of the partner able to use language, that we would have a discussion in which I couldn't use language. He looked at me odd and asked how it was even possible, I simply replied, just try. He began talking about things that required more of a response than a simple nod yes or no, and realized I was unable to communicate a solid answer. It was interesting watching him move towards conversation in which had a yes or no answer. I was able to sometimes emphasize more of an opinion through body language, such as a shrug or a thumbs up. He had said my eyebrows voiced my opinions better than anything else. This led me to believe that in comparison with two cultures meeting for the first time, and this is completely opinion based, that the culture with a more developed language, will take initiative in conversation and interaction. I imagine this is how some culture came to even absorb or conquer other cultures. By having better means of communication, it seems to support the idea of having others adapt to you. Through the use of symbolic language, it isn't impossible to communicate, but surely much more difficult.

Part 2- Monotone Like a Robot
I was pretty dumbfounded as to the results of this experiment. Of course the use of hand gestures, body language and voice play a major role in communication, but I felt almost as useless as I did in part one. The conversation with my partner led towards the the topic of the NBA playoffs, a topic he knows I am ecstatic about. He asked me many opinion based questions, and while I could answer using words, it seemed I had an empty opinion due to the fact there was no enthusiasm or disagreement in the way the message was sent. He asked me if I like the Los Angeles Lakers, I replied with a very monotone yes. He then asked if I liked the Chicago Bulls, again a monotone yes was my reply. After failing to last 15 minutes with such a lacking conversation due to my inability to express enthusiasm, he asked which team I liked more. Being able to voice my opinion through language, body language, and volume it was crystal clear the Lakers were my favorite. It was fascinating how difficult it was  communicating using voice and no expression. What this did to my partner was confuse him as to what I truly believed. In part one, he resorted to yes or no questions, while in part two he would often ask the same question twice to receive a better understanding. This says a lot about the signs we use when communicating, watch a news anchor for five minutes and this is clear. Some people have a difficult time reading body language. Those who lack social skills and can't figure out how to take a conversation, or continue talking about a topic of no interest to their yawning partner. Being able to recognize body language makes communication much easier, as you can see when someone is becoming aggressive, bored, enthusiastic etc. I have an extremely difficult time pointing out a situation in which the inability to read body language is beneficial. Unfortunately the best circumstance I can pinpoint is the discussion of a very serious topic for debate. I think in may situations these debates become heated and drive away from the task at hand due to recognizing opponents body language and reacting negatively. Perhaps, the inability to recognize body language would allow for both sides to focus completely on the task at hand, rather than the level of annoyance or disagreement from their opponent.

Part 3- Importance of Writing
Had I been able to use written language in part one of this experiment, the conversation would have gone a whole lot longer. Being able to use body language and then write a true response to my partner would ease the situation greatly. I would have been able to answer questions much more adequately and ask him questions in response. What I find important about written language is the reference we are able to gain from it. We are able to look back on a message that was written much easier than we are able to recall what someone might have said, but we're not sure of. On a global scale, written language is key. We are able to communicate through mail, or over the internet with billions of people. Something I find beneficial about writing is the official seal of what has been written. For example, a law, it is definite, and later signed to show that what has been written is true and enforced. Written language makes what is said permanent, and a reference at any time.

Zulu vs Andean Indians

Zulu

1. The Zulu is split into several different tribes across South Africa. With a tribe three million strong, they do not all live in the same area. The majority of the Zulu live in hills near the outskirts of forests in Southern Africa. Due to the home they've created on hills, the Zulu women must walk a few miles to flatlands to produce crops. Zulu land has a great deal of fertile soil for farming, and receives a steady dose of annual rainfall. Summers are very warm, and winters cold. Due to the seasonal changes, the houses have been made to contain heat in winter, and allow airflow in summers. With that said, the only harm to homeostasis to me, would be the amount of walking needed for tending to crops on the the flat lands.

2. There wasn't a physical adaptation I was able to pin point, but the idea of cleanliness seemed pretty close. The people of the Zulu often bathe three times a day, and make sure to use different dishes and utensils for different foods. Another I would say is the amount of walking needed to reach their crops. The walking could take a toll on the women, who generally do most if not all the the harvesting. Many have adapted by building homes closer to the flat lands.

3. The area in which Zululand lies is quite rough. The grounds are rough, and many heavy bushes and forested areas are present. The Zulu had often been big game hunters, and would bring back a great deal of meat to feed the tribe. Over time, the amount of animals inhabiting the area had decreased. A cultural change in which the Zulu had to complete was a greater transition to harvesting crops and renewable resources. Like I said in the physical adaptation, their crops are miles away, and the time and distance needed to gather food may be troublesome. The fact that there are less animals to hunt as well must be difficult for the tribe. The adaptation here is the introduction of harvesting, or greater reliance on it.

4. The amaZulu, or Zulu for short are habitants of South Africans. With that said, the best description of their race would be Africans. If asked I would give them the name "Blacks" or "Africans" due to the generalization of many people today. To go into further detail, they would be South Africans.

Andean Indians

1. The Andean Indians inhabit areas of South America, ranging from the Andes Mountains to Peru, to Ecuador. These indians range from all sections of the mountain range and depending on where they call home, will have a different climate. Those in the southern parts of the Andes experience rainy and cool weather. Those in the more central areas endure dry weather. Lastly, those up north have rainy and warm weather.

2. There are many tribes that have originated from the Andes mountain range. One such being the Quechua. This tribe had grown in the western end of the mountain range and migrated east. They ended up in a jungle area and have settled. A physical adaptation this particular tribe adapted to was the reliance on other Andean tribes. It is said that the Andean Indians strongly believe in helping their neighbors. With the benefits of trade with relatively close tribes, the Quechua have been able to find success in living.

3. The reason I chose to emphasize the Quechua as the Andean Indians is their initiative in forming the common language. Many of the Andean Indian tribes accepted this as their language and have made it common. The Quechua have been able to find success and relief in communication by spreading their language, easing trade with neighbor tribes.

4. The race I would give describe the Andean Indians would be Native Americans. They have always called South America home, and have settled there for many years. Native American sets the imagery that matches this culture.

Zulu/Andean

5. From an anthropologists perspective, first taking a look at a race/culture and making assumptions can be useful, but not always true. In this case, I think by looking at the Zulu tribespeople, it is fair to assume they are hunters and gatherers. However, looking at the Andean Indians, there is much more to what meets the eye. The Zulu tend to be a large tribe, unified. The Andean Indians, while unified, are split into many sib cultures. Like the tribe I studied, the Quechua are very different from say the Yenekua. With that in mind, the Zulu's appearance has a better reflection of the South African tribesmen culture than the appearance of the Andean Indians.

Sources

http://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/zulu_tribe.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/102247/Central-American-and-northern-Andean-Indian

http://www.eshowe.com/article/articlestatic/54/1/13/

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=zulu+cleaning&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&biw=1435&bih=704&tbm=isch&tbnid=0e-X2RmmuBHmgM:&imgrefurl=http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/aflang/zulu/culture.html&docid=QI-sZBYDclGJuM&imgurl=http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/aflang/zulu/cleaning.jpg&w=800&h=600&ei=A6GPT-CID8js2AXVoID2BA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=709&sig=105347609873900251503&page=1&tbnh=151&tbnw=224&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:69&tx=142&ty=91

http://www.1902encyclopedia.com/Z/ZUL/zululand.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/102247/Central-American-and-northern-Andean-Indian

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0028672.html

http://www.zompist.com/quechua.html

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Quechua&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&biw=1435&bih=704&tbm=isch&tbnid=76_viBysOawkJM:&imgrefurl=http://www.amerikaventure.com/eng/tour_ecu_amazon_ext.php&docid=vGkLRE-Wrh5XpM&imgurl=http://www.amerikaventure.com/images/equat/yachana/quechua.jpg&w=850&h=562&ei=0a2PT8WXNePs2QX5zuXrBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=610&vpy=379&dur=1133&hovh=182&hovw=276&tx=216&ty=118&sig=105347609873900251503&page=2&tbnh=158&tbnw=211&start=21&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:21,i:191

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=quechua+jungle&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1435&bih=704&tbm=isch&tbnid=JTs4T8PbVi6JgM:&imgrefurl=http://www.southwestern.edu/live/news/6203-is-student-studies-quechua-in-peru&docid=1FlJf-EtjmrzYM&imgurl=http://www.southwestern.edu/livewhale/content/images/34/9200_amazon_5e307a1ede3a3475e46c697c96044988.jpg&w=300&h=450&ei=_q2PT_2OBKaM2gWk1MHxBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=186&vpy=128&dur=1099&hovh=275&hovw=183&tx=107&ty=136&sig=105347609873900251503&page=1&tbnh=172&tbnw=115&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:67

Week 1 Assignment pt. A

Disturbing- The tribe described has practices myself, and many of my culture's people would find disturbing i'm sure. The part in the article describing how they drill holes in teeth and fill them with "magical" substance is very odd to me. It is said that these holes must be filled or the tribesman would be rejected by all those around him. Women have their heads cooked for an hour in a ritual called latipso. Women are also conservative of their bodies when pregnant.


Judgmental- What caused me to choose this word for description is the significance of physical appearance they have. It is said that women with small breasts have them enlarged in order to be normal. Likewise, women with large breasts have them reduced. What is in a sense prostitution, some women with naturally beautiful bodies make a living roaming town to town collecting fees from people just to observe them. It is far more severe than any kind of judging i've seen in America.


Superstitious- My reasoning for choosing the word "superstitious" is similar to choosing "disturbing". The shrines that the tribesmen keep in their homes represent ancestry, and require daily attention. They perform harsh rituals like the holes in the teeth one, in what they think protects them. The tribe believes the human body is ugly, and enforce brutal changes to meet acceptable physical appearances. The tribe performs many rituals and ceremonies to fulfill self prophecies.


Ritual- This tribe believes that they are a bunch of ugly people. Their answer to their self implemented problem is the practice of rituals and ceremonies. Like the breast manipulation and teeth drilling that goes on, each home has a shrine attached to a wall. Members of the family visit the shrine every day and pay respects and carry on a ritual. In most cases, the more shrines and "holy" things in your house, the higher your status is.

Medicine-The so called "medicine-men" provide improvised medicinal practices to the tribesmen. They think up and write down ingredients they think should apply a cure to the supposably ugly people. This recipe is written down in their language and applied to patients. The used ingredients are then saved so that if need be, the medicine can be applied again based on observing what was done the first time. The "medicine-men" tend to be herbalists, though from how I interpreted their practices, they can do more harm than good.

Part B
1. After learning that the Nacirema were actually just Americans, I was undoubtably suprised. Looking back on the 5 words I chose, there aren't any changes I would make when looking at Americans. I feel that Americans carry out traditions, and act in a way that only makes these 5 terms more relevant.

2. I evaluated the Nacirema with a bias now that I look back. I found their ways of life very strange because I would never follow rituals in my day and age. I was most definitely judgmental in my evaluation, as I found many of their methods unnecessary and odd. The word I used that is bias was "Disturbing". Their practices may be completely normal to them, and might even think my practices are the disturbing ones. The rest of my words chosen were unbiased, and I chose them based on the factual information rather than my own personal opinion.

3. In replacement of the word "Disturbing" I would go with the word "Secure". I say this based on their practices regarding the drilling of the teeth. I found this disturbing, but it ultimately was to be secure with their personal lives. I suppose other cultures may find it odd that many Americans have guard dogs and alarm systems in their homes.

4. As an anthropologist, you must refrain from forcing your own culture on the one you are studying. Otherwise, you will find yourself discriminating cultures because they are different, and making them out to be something they are not. For all we know, other cultures find Americans to be the bizarre ones. Using unbiased words, anthropologists can do their intended job, and shed light on other cultures. I think it is possible to complete an unbiased report, as long as all the information used is backed by fact.

Anthropology

This is where I will be blogging about Anthropology!