chap 4
Big Question: What is language and where does it come from?
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While we may think of language as confined to the words that we speak, there is so much more to language than this. The world of gestures is an excellent example; many of us “speak with our hands” in order to emphasize the topics that we are trying to communicate. Italians are particularly famous for their elaborate and exaggerated language of gestures. A recent article and video from the New York Times does an excellent job of elucidating this topic. You can see the article “When Italians Chat, Hands and Fingers Do the Talking” at the following link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/01/world/europe/when-italians-chat-hands-and-fingers-do-the-talking.html?_r=1&;
Instructions: Complete and then submit the exercise(s) below as directed by your instructor.
(Online) After reading the article and watching the video about Italian hand gestures, you should have a greater awareness of the role of gesture in communication. Over the course of a day, make note of the gestures that you, your friends, and your professors use, and in what contexts these gestures are used. Prepare a summary of the gestures you observed for your class’s online forum. While you can provide a written description of the gestures, your presentation will be greatly enhanced by pictures and videos. In the comment section, discuss with your classmates whether there are other possible meanings for any of the gestures you presented.
CH 05 DVD EXERCISE
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Multiracial Identity [5:39]
https://util.wwnorton.com/jwplayer?type=video&msrc=/wwnorton.college.protected/coursepacks/anthro/videos/multiracial-identity.mp4&isrc=/wwnorton.college.protected/coursepacks/anthro/videos/multiracial-identity.jpg&csrc=/wwnorton.college.protected/coursepacks/anthro/videos/multiracial-identity.vtt&cp=1
Race is an enduring concept in U.S. cultural politics, and “multiracial” identity is a growing but controversial category of identification. The selection explores the history of race and the rise of multiracial identity in the United States.
Instructions: Submit your answers to the questions below as directed by your instructor.
What do you check on census forms or other surveys of racial identity? Do you check more than one, or even “other”?
If “race” is based on a false biological distinction, why does it still matter in U.S. society?
How does the rule of hypodescent, or “one drop rule,” complicate the movement to establish a category for multiracial identity in the United States?
Does the idea of a multiracial identity destabilize the ideology of race, or does it further emphasize the notion of “race” as a biological category?
CH 05 THINKING LIKE AN ANTHROPOLOGIST
Big Question: What is racism?
After reading Chapter 5, you should have a better understanding of how race is culturally constructed and thus how notions of race can vary from culture to culture. You should also have a new understanding of the difference between individual racism and institutional racism. Both forms of racism have had a profound influence on the development of modern American culture, but individual racism often receives more attention in the media. Research the examples of racial violence described in your textbook, including the deaths of Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and Alton Sterling, and consider how institutional racism may have played a role in the deaths of these men.
Instructions: Complete and then submit the exercise(s) below as directed by your instructor.
(Online) Using the class’s online discussion board, consider the incidents surrounding how each of these men died, and discuss what role institutional racism may have played in their deaths. This a sensitive topic, so be sure to choose your words carefully! After reading comments from your fellow students, consider what the most important points your class came up with were and try to summarize them in another online post.
CH 06 THINKING LIKE AN ANTHROPOLOGIST
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Big Question: What does “ethnicity” mean to anthropologists?
Ethnic identity is a powerful force in the modern world. People have died for and been lifted up by their ethnic identities. But there are many misconceptions about what ethnicity is. After reading the chapter you should have a much better idea of what ethnicity means to anthropologists, but what does ethnicity mean to your friends and classmates? For this exercise, ask five friends who attend your school (but who are not in this class) to define ethnicity. How do their definitions compare to one another and how do they compare to the anthropological definition of ethnicity?
Instructions: Complete and then submit the exercise(s) below as directed by your instructor.
(Online) Post a summary of your friends’ definitions of ethnicity to your class’s online forum. What major trends did you find? How did these definitions differ from your own understanding of ethnicity? After reading your classmates’ posts, get together in groups to discuss the major trends in how students at your school conceive of ethnicity. Consider presenting a summary of your findings for publicaticixon in the student newspaper.
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