ANT100Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Political Correctness, Homo Sapiens, Potlatch
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ANT100Y1 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
A distinctively human resource and central element of culture, used for: How we see the world, each other, Like cultures, languages have more in common that not (nouns, verbs, language universals) But specific languages and specific cultures are human particulars. Social transmission is much more flexible than genetic transmission: Major changes can occur within a generation or two. Major changes can occur without a change of species. Language and culture allow us to adapt to new situations. Specific languages and cultures develop to cope with specific environment (functionalism) and social contexts (niches) Cultures: potlatch, bridewealth/dowry (culture can change the niche itself) Within all species, groups can come into conflict, often over resources. The resources may be natural or social (jobs, political influence, education). In homo sapiens, these groups may have different cultures and languages and this may be accompanied by prejudice about the other. Prejudice does not come from differences but from its context.
