Difficulty in Communicating

This particular experiment was not as easy as I originally thought it would be.  It was one that required much careful consideration in ensuring that I was not using any form of a symbolic language to get my point across.  In the beginning of the fifteen minutes spent on this experiment, I found myself as well as my husband, humored by what we needed to do in order to effectively communicate. This meant that we needed to use hand movements (not ASL) as well as facial expressions in order to “speak” to one another.  Towards the end of the fifteen minutes, it was a struggle to maintain communication and we were very tempted to just give up.  In communicating with my husband during this experiment, I noticed that he became uncomfortable at the idea of others observing us practicing this way of speaking.  I too began to look around for other’s expressions as I believed we looked incredibly silly to the outside world, who were essentially unaware of the experiment at hand. For my husband, who is generally not shy at all, I noticed a different way about him, one that became more timid as the experiment continued on.  As a result, he communicated less. If I was to imagine us as individuals from two different cultures meeting for the first time, I can imagine that much would be lost in translation.  It was so difficult communicating my thoughts to my husband (who knows me very well) that it would be frustrating to a stranger experiencing such barriers in conversation.  Both cultures I believe are at a disadvantage in such situation as it is nearly impossible to communicate complex ideas.  As a result, you are hindered by the time it takes to simply interpret the simplest of ideas. The attitude of the individual from the speaking culture may be that of intolerance and impatience as it takes work to fully communicate what one is thinking. Young children experience difficulty in communicating with spoken language as they are just at the beginning of their speech development; this allows for much frustration by parents who often forget that these little ones do not have the speaking ability or even the understanding that one might expect them to have.  Telling them no, when they do not fully understand what you are saying or what that means, leaves them bewildered and unable to fully cooperate. As a result, the individual speaking to the child may tend to raise their voice in an attempt to get them to understand, however this is useless as it is not their hearing ability at play, but their ability to understand spoken language.

The second part of this experiment was more difficult than the first, which was quite surprising.  I thought that as long as I could use my words to communicate, than smooth conversation would be easily achieved.  This however was not the case.  I never truly realized just how much I use my hands and facial movements to convey my message, or just how much my husband uses his.  Not being able to incorporate these into my conversation was quite impossible. Due to the difficulty of this task we were not able to last the full fifteen minutes.  In truth, we lasted just a few minutes.  I found myself correcting him and vice versa whenever we strayed from the rules of the experiment.  I found that I incorporate the movement of my eyebrows and eyes quite a bit when I talk, and that my husband uses his eyes and hands the most. In talking to my husband during this experiment, most of his concentration was placed on ensuring that I was not breaking the rules by using physical embellishments. The emphasis was less on what I had to say and more on the fact that I wasn’t using my hands and face to communicate. This experiment says a lot about our use of sign language.  Many may not realize just how much they use their hands, or how often they roll or squint their eyes to portray intensity.  Without using such movements I felt like I lacked the ability to effectively communicate as I am used to being able to use such movements when I speak. There are many people out there that have difficulty in reading body language.  These individuals may not pick up on cues that another puts out there which may say they are uncomfortable, irritated, or even on the opposite end of the spectrum interested in them as a potential love interest. By being able to read body language I feel helps put you a step above the rest in a way as you are able to read what one’s body is communicating, without perhaps the other person even knowing what they are projecting. An environmental condition where there would be a benefit to not reading body language would one that best serves the person on the receiving end of the negative body language. For example, being oblivious to negative body language may in fact allow an individual to have a good time, rather than wondering the reason for body language and in effect directing it towards something they must have done to warrant it.  This can occur in all types of scenarios such as in school or business. If you are in school giving a presentation, the last thing you want to interpret is negative body language from your teacher. That would most likely cause you to lose focus and affect your ability to finish your report.

The first experiment in this assignment would definitely have been greatly assisted by the ability to use written language. That is assuming that the person that is communicated with understand the written language being used.  Without such understanding, its effectiveness would be lost. However assuming my partner can understand my written language, I would have been able to simply write down my questions or thoughts, with them being able to read and write in response. Written language is definitely beneficial to the culture that develops and uses it as it can be used in a way to secretly communicate between your own culture, assuming the other cultures do not share that understanding.  Such communication within the culture would also essentially help to unite it. This can be seen on a larger scale as well, if you look at what written language has done for globalization.  Simply looking at how the majority of the world communicates today, much is done through the use of written language via email, text or Facebook.  Text messaging and Facebook has essentially forever changed the face of communication, and has taken the emphasis away from verbal and physical embellishments in expressing our thoughts, to using words to effectively deliver the same message. 

In a Random Coincidence...

 
Last week as I was working on my post for the Zulu tribe I had received an email from my friend who was visiting South Africa with her fiance; she had mentioned that she was going to Mozambique for a few days and would be visiting her fiance's family who lives in South Africa.  In a random coincidence I had actually come across Mozambique earlier that day in doing research on the Zulu tribe, so I wrote her back telling her of my assignment and my research into this South African culture.  I just checked my email tonight and found that she just responded to my email and had incredible news...during her time in South Africa she visited Phezulu  to learn all about the Zulu tribe as her fiance's family is from a Zulu background. Even though we've already submitted our assignment, I thought it was too incredible not to post that a close friend of mine was on the other side of the world learning about the same culture, in the same exact week that I was.  She was able to send me a few photo's that she had taken during her visit, so I thought I would share them.

Cultural Groups and Their Adaptations

The Zulu culture resides in South Africa, more specifically in the Natal Province (aka Zululand) with a population of over 9 million. The cultural identity of the Zulu has evolved as it is more commonly associated with a specific territory with many clans, rather than simply those closely linked to its ancestor. The Zulu’s habitat is one that has a warm tropical climate with fair temperatures. The average summer temperature in January is 81 degrees (F) with roughly 77 degrees (F) in winter. As you can see there is not a drastic change in temperatures between seasons however there is still a climatic change. This change is seen between the summer and winter seasons and has the summer season lasting from October to April, with warm temperatures and generous precipitation. The winter season then lasts from June to August and generally sees cold and dry weather. The environmental change from warm to cold and dry to wet may not be incredibly drastic however it is enough to cause stress on the Zulu. Although the summer season brings hot, humid and rainy weather to the Zulu region, the farmland benefits from ample sun and water making the grounds quite fertile.

Since the typical climate in the Zulu region is generally sunny and warm, the Zulu’s need to adapt in order to weather the warm sun. To do this, their bodies produce a higher level of the pigment melanin which is essential to the Zulu culture in order to exist and thrive amongst the tropical climate. By physically adapting to the heat of the sun, the Zulu’s are able to coexist with the sun, and are therefore able to avoid solar radiation stress, illness and death. Without such pigment, the tribe would be more susceptible to damage caused by the sun which can result in gene mutations (which can lead to serious medical conditions) and essentially cancer. These issues can therefore be detrimental to the survival of the tribe and their ability to reproduce, which is essential to their tribe's existence.

Now that the Zulu’s have physically adapted to their environment, they must then culturally adapt to maintain homeostasis; we can see this adaptation through their living conditions. The Zulu’s environment can play host to the generally year round hot sun and humid temperatures. In order to avoid stresses caused by the hot and wet conditions, the Zulu’s village consists of huts that they can use to take shelter. These huts are built from wooden rods, rushes, reeds, and thick branches, and are shaped in the form of an igloo. The way these huts are built and the material that they use help to keep cool from the harsh sun. Since the region does also experience a winter season, the huts are built to contain fireplaces which help keep the Zulu’s warm on occasional cold winter nights. Without manipulating their environment and building such substantial living conditions, the tribe would not be able to take shelter from the hot, wet or cold conditions, leading them to suffer from environmental stresses.

The race that I would most easily assign to the Zulu’s in order to describe them would be the African race. I am inclined to describe them this way due to their obvious physical appearance. Their dark skin and facial features are most relatable to those of African descent, and are what we have come to associate when viewing those through their race. In describing the Zulu population, I find it to be more of service to them as a tribe to use their physical and cultural adaptations to describe them. By simply using a racial ethnicity to describe them limits the knowledge that we can obtain about the actual culture at hand. Yes, some may fall under a racial umbrella however we loose the richness of their culture and therefore explanatory power by applying such a broad racial label to them. I believe that it would do more justice to the work of an anthropologist to use the environmental adaptations to describe the Zulu population as it truly gives great insight into the daily lives and struggles of this fascinating clan.

The Andean Indians live in the Andes Mountains, which is deemed to be the world’s longest mountain range. The Andes Mountains are home to a very difficult and demanding terrain with little roads and steep slopes. They are also more importantly home to high altitudes with many peaks reaching over 20,000 feet above sea level. The high altitude alone is a very significant source of stress for the Andean Indians, which without adaptation, could not result in homeostasis for this clan. The climate itself ranges from warm to cold, depending on the altitude. In the high altitude region which is home to the Andean Indians, the climate is cold, often with snow. Their home also experiences a change in two seasons, unlike our four, which are the dry and rainy season. During the dry season, the mountains have sunny days with and colder night temperatures, which starts in April and goes to October. During the rainy season, the high altitude mountainous region is home to arduous cold weather with snow precipitation. This rainy season takes place beginning in November and continuing until March. The average temperature ranges from a daily high of 59 degrees Fahrenheit to a nightly low of 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

The most stressful environmental factor for the Andean Indians is the high altitude in which they must live. Such high altitude as experienced in the Andes Mountains requires great adaptation in order to survive. Without adaptation, homeostasis would not exist. The physical effects of high altitude on the human body can include shortness of breath and a higher rate of evaporation leaving our body to require more hydration. In order to survive long term under these circumstances, the Andean Indians need to physically adapt, and this physical adaptation can be seen through their inflated chests and enlarged lungs. These two physical adaptations helped them adjust to the lack of oxygen in the air, and without such acclimatization, they would not be able to hike up the steep hills in order to perform farm work or to carry food back to their village.

In order to make it through those cold nights in the Andes Mountains, the Andean Indians need to culturally adapt as well. This acclimatization can be seen through their use of the heavy and durable wool that is provided within their environment, which is through their llamas and alpaca’s. The wool is heavy and durable and is what is needed to keep them warm on those frigid and cold nights. Without such manipulation of their environment, the tribe would find it difficult to last long term in the harsh conditions of the Andes Mountains, and therefore homeostasis would be lost.

The race that I find that I can closely compare to the Andean Indians is the Mexican race. This is based off the physical characteristics of the Andean Indians, such as their brown skin color, dark hair, eye shape and facial features. I myself am Mexican American and in looking at pictures of the Andean Indian culture, I found that we shared many physical characteristics. In looking at the environmental adaptations of the Andean Indians, and the racial comparison, I believe that it is more telling of the culture at hand to use their physical and cultural adaptations to describe them rather than a racial description. In looking solely at describing them by race, you lose the true identity of this rather unique and complex group. Instead, you are only left to assign characteristics of the group to those that you are already familiar with when looking at race. Therefore as an anthropologist, I would find more explanatory power in learning about their environmental acclimatization’s when evaluating and learning about this wonderful culture.

http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=zul

http://www.bigmyth.com/download/zulu_culture.pdf

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Zulu.aspx

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/82e12/fb4/

http://www.curiouschameleon.com/explorer2.php?id=5&name=Zulu

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/climbing/altitude-sickness2.htm

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/23692/Andes-Mountains/41653/The-people

http://www.virtualexplorers.org/ard/people/andes.htm

http://jeb.biologists.org/content/204/18/3151.full.pdf

http://www.journeytoforever.org/farm_library/price/price14.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/23548/Andean-peoples

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/andes_climate.htm

http://www.go2peru.com/webapp/ilatintravel/articulo.jsp?cod=199881490

http://www.andeansummits.com/ClimateAndSeasons.htm

Have We Met Our Counterparts?

In reading about the rituals of the Nacirema, many words describing my impression of the group came to mind. The first of these thoughts was that they are extremely devoted as a majority of their day is spent performing rituals that will combat debility and disease from overcoming their body. Their devotion is seen each day through the same rituals they perform as well as to the extent that they will go to in order to perform such activities, including subjecting themselves to pain and humiliating ceremonies as they are prodded, poked and stripped of their clothing.

The second word I would use to describe the Nacirema is spiritual. This to me describes the group perfectly as they believe in and identify with a “higher being” that they trust to heal all wounds and protect them from future bodily harm. These higher beings are considered to have special powers to alleviate things that will plague them, either in their mouth, minds or overall body, and these higher powers come in the form of the medicine men, listener, and holy mouth men.

Another word to describe the Nacirema would be perverse. Much of the pain endured and the time that is spent on performing their rituals would be considered irrational to outsiders that are looking in. Whether it is the fact that they willingly sign up for the harsh latipso ceremonies, which many are lucky to live through, or that they go to the “listener” who they believe will free their minds from any previous bewitching, most opinions of those observing such things would be that they are extremely unreasonable.

The fourth word that comes to mind when I think of the Nacirema is body conscious. They are so focused on their body’s appearance and health that they devote much of their time to practices that they feel can help them avoid any ailments. Rather than doing minor things to maintain their overall wellbeing, they go to extremes for prevention. These extremes include having holes drilled in their teeth to treat and prevent decay (even though their teeth continue to decay regardless of their visits to the holy mouth men), and seeking help at the latipso which require gifts when admitted and released.

The last word that I think of when I read about the Nacirema is relatable. This is a group with whom I believe any one of us in some way can relate to. Whether it is because they are body conscious, perform rituals to maintain their health, or go to extremes to rid their bodies of any plagues, each one of us could in some way identify with this culture. If we look at the overall message of the Nacirema, it appears that they believe the human body to be ugly, and one that needs constant maintenance in order to survive. Who cannot relate to that? Whether we go to the gym, take vitamins or medicine, eat vegetables, or get plastic surgery, we in some way can connect with this train of thought, and what we will do to maintain ourselves.

Ethnocentrism Revealed

As an American I feel that the choice of words I used to describe our culture were kind and considerate. With that said however there was one word that was not so compassionate and that word was perverse. The connotation of the word itself is unkind and quite judgmental. My description talked about certain acts being considered irrational and harsh, where as when I apply it to the American culture and the acts as I understand them to be, those words do not seem to be an accurate description at all. In terms of the “listener” freeing the mind from any bewitching, this in the American culture would be translated as going to a therapist and unloading our inner most thoughts and feelings; not quite the same as what was imagined when reading about the Nacirema.

The words that I chose when describing the Nacirema reveal ethnocentrism within me. This can be seen with pretty much all of the words that I used to describe their cultural acts, from the word devoted to body conscious. I interpret these words to reveal ethnocentrism in me as those are my opinions and assumptions about the behavior of the group, and not necessarily an accurate understanding. For example, I interpreted the Nacirema spending much of their day dedicated to rituals to mean that they are devoted, though that is because the amount of time they spent performing their rituals seemed excessive to me. However if we were looking at the Nacirema as a separate culture than our own, we would most likely find that within their culture, spending much of their day performing these acts is considered normal and of commonplace routine. My own cultural bias reveals itself in these words as to what I find acceptable and unacceptable, normal vs. strange, (a vs. b) etc. In unveiling the true culture of the Nacirema as American spelled backwards, it helped me to understand that the words I used to describe their acts were false. Therefore by being able to relate to the culture at hand, I was able to get an accurate view of what those rituals really mean.

Now that I have a more accurate understanding of the Nacirema (aka American) I can see that my words were maybe not the most fitting words to use. Instead, I would replace my biased descriptive words with more fair and impartial words. Instead of using the words devoted, spiritual, perverse and body conscious, I could instead use the words unremitting, divinely, willing, and attentive to translate my original intent. I have to say though that I found it to be a very hard task to find alternate unbiased words to describe the cultural acts written about in my first post as I felt that any words that I chose would still contain some judgment because the words are coming from my point of view. Even though the culture at hand is the American culture, some of the routines described are not necessarily ones that I may partake in and therefore I would be looking at that act as an outsider looking in, and applying my own opinion and assumption.

It is very important to be aware of the ethnocentrism that lays within all of us when observing another culture as the consequences of such bias can prevent us from truly reaching an understanding of those that we may not readily relate to; and therefore it in some ways prohibits us from learning about others. By applying everything to our own terms and not within another’s context removes the possibility of expanding our knowledge and perspective. When describing a culture besides our own, it is very important to do our best to use words that are free of our own cultural bias as our words can be belittling, demeaning, inappropriate and presumptuous. The end result of using inaccurate words when describing another’s culture could be that we unknowingly erase our good intentions, and instead imply something to the opposite effect. However as a cultural anthropologist, as much as one may try to remove their own cultural bias, our culture is in the end all that we know and any observations made outside of this context would be of opinion and judgment.