Coordinator: Lecturer Mihai Burlacu, Phd [613343]

Transilvania University of Brașov
Faculty of Letters
Language Studies for Intercultural Communication

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY : A
MULTIDIMENSIONAL CONCEPT

Student: [anonimizat]: II
Coordinator: Lecturer Mihai Burlacu, Phd

-January, 2021-

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CONTENTS

INTRODU CTION …………………………………………………………………..3
1.THE CONCEPT OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY ………….……………….3
2.SIMILARITIES BETWEEN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND NEW
TRENDS IN SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS AND GENDER STUDIES ……….6
3.DISADVANTAGES OF CULTURAL ANTH ROPOLOGY ……………………9
CONCLUSION S………………………………………………………………….11
REFERENCE LIST ……………………………………………………………….12

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INTRODUCTION

This paper aims to bring into discussion the concept of ‘cultural anthropology’, as well as the
advantages of studying Cultural Anthropology. There will be discussed the similarities between
Cultural Anthropology and other studies, such as: new trends in s ociolinguistic analysis and gender
studies. Moreover, it will be studied the disadvantages of Cultural Anthropology and the aspects
of Cultural Anthropology that may be relevant for my MA dissertation, entitled ‘Gender and Power
in Talk -in-interaction’. Th ere exist many studies that have many things in common and reflect an
impact on each other or there is a connection with each other. Several theories have emerged upon
cultural anthropology and many theorists have written about this concept and all these w ill be
reminded in the present paper. Relevant concepts and aspects will be brought into discussion as
well. The purpose of this paper is to provide an answer to the following research questions:
1. What does the concept of ‘cultural anthropology’ mean?
2. Why i s it important to study ‘cultural anthropology’?
3. What are the similarities between Cultural Anthropology and other studies, such as: new
trends in sociolinguistic analysis and gender studies?
4. What are the disadvantages of Cultural Anthropology?
5. What aspects may be relevant for the ‘Gender and Power in Talk -in-interaction’ MA
dissertation?

1. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Cultural Anthropology has been studied by many theorists and it is a scientific discipline
that studies the cultural life of human beings, regarding their beliefs, actions and way of life.
Cultural Anthropology is a complex discipline, that often combines perspectives of other social
sciences, such as sociology, psychology, history , language studies. This discipline is also related
to the concept of ‘culture’. This concept is hard to define because it includes many qualities that
make us humans. Culture is a concept used to also define ‘the way of life’ of different groups of
people, regarding the way they organize their life and the reflections upon their lifestyles. Every
human being has a culture. As Gary Ferraro and Susan Andreatta said in their book called Cultural

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Anthropology An Applied Perpective , there are no people who do not have culture. Eve ry culture
is composed of different ways attitudes, values, ways of behaving or acting, ways of speaking.
Also, the process in which culture is learned is called enculturation . According to Nina Brown et
al, culture is defined as a set of beliefs and custo ms of our daily lives, that make us unique.
‘Culture is a set of beliefs, practices, and symbols that are learned and shared. Together, they form an all –
encompassing, integrated whole that binds people together and shapes their worldview and lifeways.’ ( Brown, N. et
al, 2020: 6)
Cultural anthropology is the branch of anthropology that studies different human societies
and cultures and their development. Cultural anthropologists are scientists that study differences
and similarities between different socie ties, regarding social and cultural patterns. As a cultural
science, anthropology studies man through all that it entails, such as how he builds his relationship
with other people from the same society or from other social groups , how he dresses , considering
that all these things are useful for understanding him as a cultural man.
The field of cultural anthropology includes many aspects, such as: the way people live,
what they eat, where they live, what ornaments and clothes they wear. Another asp ect may include
what relationships are established between people. Cultural anthropology also studies the way in
which people solve various problems, such as adapting to environment or reacting to a change in
their lives. Moreover, it is studied the way in which people regulate and symbolize l aws, values,
behaviors, institutions, ideologies , symbols, rituals, laws, taboos, sanctions .
According to Gary Ferraro and Susan Andreatta, the capacity to symbolize things is what
makes every human being unique. Every symbol represents something in this world. Also, symbols
tie together people who otherwise might not be part of the same group. We are drawn to these
symbols because we constantly share a common set of symbols, such as language, clothing,
nonverbal commun ication. Moreover, the term of race is often used as a synonym for culture, but
many anthropologists consider these terms two different concepts . Garry Ferraro and Susan
Andreatta consider that the concepts of race and culture have different meanings.
‘A race is an interbreeding population whose members share a number of important physical traits with one
another, such as blood types, eye color and shape, skin color, and hair texture, to mention just a few. (…) By
way of contrast, culture refers to our non biological and nongenetic characteristics. All people cand be
classified according to their physical traits and according to their acquired or cultural characteristics. And,
even though many groups share a common culture and a similar set of physical trait s, these two concepts
vary quite independently of each other.’ (Ferraro G., Andreatta, S., 2014: 29)

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There are several anthropological perspectives that define cultural anthropology. Many
subfields studied by different scientist are related to this discip line. As Nina Brown et al claimed
in their book entitled Perspectives: An Open Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, Second
Edition , the perspectives related to cultural anthropology are holism, relativism, comparison and
fieldwork. The authors sustained the idea that many anthropologists are interested in studying the
humanity as a whole and they use a holistic approach to discover aspects regarding social, cultural
and biological phenomena. Moreover, they claimed that cultural relativism is the opposite of
egocentrism.
‘The guiding philosophy of modern anthropology is cultural relativism —the idea that we should seek to
understand another person’s beliefs and behaviors from the perspective of their culture rather than our own.
(…) The opposite of cultural relativism is ethnocentrism, the tendency to view one’s own culture as the most
important and correct and as a measuring stick by which to evaluate all other cultures that are largely seen as
inferior and morally suspect.’ (Brown N. et al, 2020: 15)
According to Nina Brown et al, anthropologists use comparison to see what different
groups and societies have in common, what are the differences in the way of living and the way
we change as people. Nina Brown et al affirm that several anthropologists ask different questions,
such as: ‘ How do chimpanzees differ from humans? How do different languages adapt to new
technologies? How do countries respond differently to immigration ?’ (Brown N. et al,2020: 16).
Anthropologists ask such question in order to find out and to compare the differences regarding
ideas, beliefs, actions of people.
Furthermore, anthropologists most often conduct their research on a field, with the group
of people on which they have interest and that they are studying. With reference to cultural
anthropology, the fieldwork is called ‘ethnography’. Ethnography is the process and also the result
of the anthropological research.
As being said before, cultural anthropology has been studied by many scientists and
theorists and it is seen as subject of interest for many of them. Studying cultural anthropology
brings many advantages. It is a multidimensional discipline, that first of all studies us, as human
beings, so the interest for this discipline concerns us, people in particular. Acco rding to David
Eller, ‘ Cultural anthropology is a fascinating and important discipline (…)’ and he claimed the
fact that if you study cultural anthropology, you will have many advantages, such as: you will
interact with other people and see other ways of l iving and you will be able to compare your
lifestyle with other lifestyles. Moreover, David Eller declares that people who study cultural

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anthropology will receive different ideas and beliefs than their own. Also, ‘t hey can become more
aware of, and critic al about, the viral ideas that flow their way, and they may even invent new viral
ideas. ’ (Eller D., 2015: 5)
However, cultural anthropology is a comparative study of human societies and cultures.
Also, this discipline involves the study of how human chara cteristics are shaped by culture and
environment.
‘The goal of a cultural anthropology is to teach us about another culture by collecting data about how the
world economy and political practices effect the new culture that is being studied. However, cultural
anthropology has gave us a understanding of world affairs and world problems, the way to interpret the
meaning of social actions by putting them in as much context as possible, and a deeper insight of humankind –
at all times, in all places and of yourself as part of a culture. ’(https://www.123helpme.com/essay/The –
Importance -Of-Cultural -Anthropology -532424 )
We live in a multicultural society and it is becoming even more developed and pluralistic.
Nowadays people live together and share different ideas and customs, because they do not live in
isolated communities. In a single location, there are gathered different races, nationalities, people
of diff erent backgrounds, who speak different languages, but interact in a single location.
The study of cultural anthropology has a great impact on other studies such as:
sociolinguistics, gender studies, linguistics and sociology. As a consequence , the importance of
cultural anthropology should never be disregarded, because the goal of this discipline is to study
and to understand human condition.
According to Nae Stanley et al, studying cultural anthropology, ‘i ts subfields have the
capability to us e each other’s research and methodology to explain the complexity that is the
human condition. That is the strength within anthropology; we are given the task of explaining
phenomenon no other discipline can, or, sometimes, even wants to tackle. ’ (Stanley N et al, 2011:3 )

2. SIMILARITIES BETWEEN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
AND NEW TRENDS IN SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS AND
GENDER STUDIES

Similarities between cultural anthropology and other studies exist. As being emphasized in
the previous chapter, cultural anthropology is the study of what makes us human. Scientists most

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of the time compare the human beings with other creatures, for examp le animals (chimpanzees) to
seem what things we have in common with them. Even though nearly all humans need the same
things to survive, like food, water, and companionship, the ways people meet these needs can be
very different. For example, everyone need s to eat, but people eat different types of food and get
food in different ways. They look at the different ways people dress and communicate in different
societies.
Cultural anthropology studies the many ways in which people share their customs, thoughts
and beliefs, how they shape their culture. When we speak about culture, it includes the way in
which people talk and use language. Also, within cultural anthropology it is studied the many ways
in which people communicate across the globe. It looks at how language is linked to how we see
the world and how we relate to each other.
Studies such as New Trends in Sociolinguistic Analysis and Gender Studies deal with the
study of language and how it is used within a community. Sociolinguistics is the study of language
in relation to society, including different dialects, gender differences and bilingualism.
Sociolinguistics and cultural anthropology have many things in common and their focus is
on language use within different social groups. Both cultural anth ropology and sociolinguistics,
from the point of view that they study how language shapes people in a society or a community.
The focus of gender studies is on language, too. It deals with communication between
different sexes and how language is shaped a ccording to different genders. As cultural
anthropology studies language within a community, gender studies deal with language use within
cross -gendered communication. Sociolinguistics and anthropology involve the systematic study of
social life, culture a nd the use of language in order to understand the causes and consequences of
human action. Sociolinguistics and anthropology combine scientific perspectives in the study of
language and society. Language shapes people, it makes them be a part of the cultur e, they act
different in different social contexts with the help of language.
Immigration is represented by the movement by which people from different parts of the
world are moving to a foreign country and with it also appeared the process called acculturation,
individuals incorporating themselves into the new culture, such as language, customs. In other
words, they adopt the language of the host country. These two concepts, acculturatio n and
enculturation have many things in common, as cultural anthropology and sociolingu istics have
things in common. Taking into account the acculturation process, there can exist exchange on

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multiple plans. In the foreground, the territory is being changed – territorial exchange. Secondly,
there is being made a cultural shift. For this reason, barriers of different types appear, such as:
language barriers, cultural or social ones. Thus, concepts as acculturation, motivation and
assimilation appear. Both anthropologists and sociolinguistics bring into discussion theories about
acculturation.
According to John H. Schumann, a sociolinguist, accu lturation represents “the social and
psychological integration of the learner with the target language (TL) group. (…) It is necessary,
however to distinguish between two types of acculturation. In type one acculturation the learner is
socially integrated w ith the TL group, and as a result, develops sufficient contacts with the TL
speakers to enable him to acquire the TL. Type two acculturation has all the characteristics of the
type one, but in this case the learner regards the TL speaker as a reference gro up.” (Schumann:
1986:379 -380) This paragraph from Schumann’s article shows that acculturation process can occur
when two social groups or two people interact with the aid of the target language. Also, Schumman
expresses the fact that every person could get into the process of acculturation if there exists a will.
According to many anthropologists, acculturation involve cultural change as a result of contact
with another group.
Gender studies is a fi eld that d eals with the interaction of different genders with different
identity markers, su ch as: race, religion, ethnicity, nationality. All these identity markers are also
reviewed by the cultural anthropology discipl ine. Both discip lines study the human interaction
according to different f actors . Gender studies and cultural ant hropology allow researchers to
examine several dimensions , for instance: fem ininity and masculinity in everyday life.
The theory en titled ‘code-switching ’ is studied both by anthropologists and soci olinguistics
and it refers to the moments when children or adults alternate between two or more languages.
Anyone who knows even a little bit of a second or third language can code switch. Code switching
among toddlers, children, teens, and adults has been extensively documented across many
languages and setti ngs. Code -switching also refers to the wa y in which children use language to
express themselves . The way in which they use langua ge, reflects the environ ment in which they
live and co exist and how the ex ternal facto rs affec t their l anguage.
"Each community, just like each individual, has its own language that expresses the ideas, values, and
attitudes of its members. A particular group of language users who share the u se of a specific language
adapted to fit their needs is called a language community. Your language communities may be created by

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your interests, say a sports team or a school club you belong to, by your age group, by your gender, and so
on.” (Amber g J. S., Vause D. J. ,:4)
According to Tariq Khan, the term language is a multidimensiona l phenomen on and it
occurs in our day to day interactions. Language is a system of expressions and meanings and it
also ‘ serves as a means for communication and bonding wi th one another in a community.
Arguably, the signs and gestures that mute and hearing -impaired people use, constitute sign
language. The sign language differs from the spoken -written language only for modality, for
everything else both are on par with each other. ’
Language is a very complex phenomenon, which has long preoccupied scientists in various
fields and as V. I. Lenin says language is ‘the most important means of communication between
people ’. Whether we use verbal communication -words – or choose to remain silent in certain
situations, we actually convey a message and certain states and emotions , that have a great impact
on the other person.
All being said, t he way we communicate and use languag e with others plays a crucial role
for our personal identity, having an effect on both professional and personal life.

3. THE DISA DVAN TAGES OF CUL TURAL ANTHROPOLOGY : A
COMPARISON BETWEEN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND
OTHER STUDIES

Cultural anthropology is a complex discipline from many points of view. It is a
multidimensional concep t and is has both ad vantages and disadvantages. It is considered a
discipline that has many things in c ommon with other studies, but it is also unique for it s own
features. Cultural anthropology studies human li ves as they are . One of t he disadvant ages of
cultural anth ropology is the diversity in hum an life. Th ere exist a vast range of cultures an d
societies in the world . Anthropologists study and examine a great number of cultures and societies
throughout the world , each of the cultur es being in dividual and ha ving its own charac teristics .
Humanity is so diverse and even thou gh there are some similarities between cultures , there is a
huge range of distinct ideas, values, customs, religions , beliefs that make the study of cultural
anthropology incredibly dif ficult to try to examine what cultures have in common. For this reason,

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it is difficult for anthropologists t o find suit able de finitio ns for several concepts related to
humanity.
Another disadvant age in studying and prac ticing cultur al anthropology are the difficulties
in ob serving and reporting the lifestyle of different pe ople from different cultures. Due to the
multitude of differences between cultures and the diver sity of the human ity, some societies vary
from the societies that the anthropologists are used to. As being emp hasized in the pre vious
chapters, it is applied the fieldwork during an anthropological re search. This is be cause the
researchers immerse the mselves into the study. As e thnocentri sm was remin ded ea rlier, it refers to
the capacity of people to evaluate from one ’s point of view a culture and to describe it with own
words . From this point of view , anthropologists cannot make an objective observation and
therefore it is hard for them to unders tand other cultures from an objective perspective.
Differences between cultural anthropology and other studies exist . There are distinct ions
between cultural anthropology and linguistics. Even thou gh both dis ciplines study language as part
of a community, there are differ ences between the two. Linguistics i s the study of language , the
human language in particular. On the other hand, anthropology studies human s as a totality , as a
whole and be sides the language, there are studie d other aspects su ch as h uman evo lution , beliefs,
values, ways of acting. Cultural anthropology studies the relat ions betwe en language and culture
and it is the branch of ant hropology th at studi es human s through the langua ge they speak and use.
Linguists study and emphasize the role of langua ge and the struc ture of it , concentrating mor e on
syntax and morphology . They make a conn ection b etween form and meaning. The difference
between the two disciplines is that cul tural anth ropologists study language a s a part of a society ,
whereas linguists study language as a specific linguistic system.
Regardin g my M A dissertation, which is entitled ‘Gender and Power in Talk -in-
interaction ’, some aspects of cultural anth ropology may be relevant for it. The dissertation paper
is based on l anguage, gender and power that are concepts expressed in different ways in several
societies . Communication between different sexes has always bee n a subject of interest for many
scholars and they claim that a battle between sexes can never be won, or others say that there is no
battle between sexes; there is only struggle to understand each other and how to communicate. The
three main concepts: lan guage, gender and power are the focus of the understanding the process
of communication between people. Gender differences represent the dominant attitudes and
behaviors that society associates with each sex. These include normative rights and responsibili ties

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for men and women in a given society . Gender is also a term used to reflect social and cultural
dimensions and constructs that are imposed upon biological differences between men and women.
Studying culture during the anthropology course ma y be a relevant aspect for writing the
disse rtation paper. The significance of the ‘culture ’ concept is important in order to find out the
cultural differences between to genders during a conversation. Also, cultural anthropology is the
branch of anthropology concerned with the study of human societies and cultures and their
development. Cultural anthropologists study how people who share a common cultural system
organize and shape the physical and social wor ld around them, and how they are shaped by those
ideas, behaviors, and physical environments. Cross -cultural communication is the process of
recognizing both differences and similarities among cultural groups. This concept is related to
sociolinguistics, wh ich also studies language in relation to society. Both cultural anthropology and
the study of gender differences during a conversation examine human societies and cultures and
their way of developing or exchanging language style or behaviour.

CONC LUSIONS

In th is section , I will present the summary of the findings and contributions brought in the
paper. As I have already mentioned in the introduction, the first chapter was meant to make the
reader familiar with the background and the term of cultural anthropology . By defining the term,
I gave it a sense that can be understood in all instances, namely cultural anthropology is the branch
of anthropology that studies different human societies and cultures and their development.
I introduced the concepts of ‘ race’ and ‘c ulture ’ and also brought a definition to them in
order to create a better understanding. I have also mentione d the concepts of holism, relativism,
comparison and fieldwork . In the second chapter, I introduced the similarities between cultural
anthropology and other studies, such as: sociolinguis tics and gender studies.
Then, in the next chapter, I focused on the disadvantage s of cultural anthropology, t he
differences b etween this di scipline and linguistics and the relevance of the aspects of cul tural
anthro pology for my MA dissert ation .
All being said, cultural anthropology i s a multidimensional concep t and discipline, where
are gathered several aspect s of soci al life .

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REFERENCE LIST

1. Brown N., McIlwraith T., Tubelle de González L. (2020) – Perspectives: An Open
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology . Second Edition , American Anthropological
Association , Arlington .
2. Eller D., (2015) – Cultural Anthropology, Routledge
3. Ferraro G., Andreatta S. (2014) Cultural Anthropology An Applied Perpective, Cengage
Learning, USA;
4. Julie S. Amberg and Deborah J. Vause -American English: History, Structure, and Usage,
Cambridge University Press ;
5. Khan, T. -Basic Concepts in Linguistics, CIIL, Mysore ;
6. Stanley N., Wrapp M., Davis T. (2011) – Why is the study of anthropology important for
the today’s world?
7. https://www.123helpme.com/essay/The -Importance -Of-Cultural -Anthropology -532424