Anthropology 152 -Lectures 9 and 10

October 12, 2022 Anthropology 152 Lecture 9 and 10 Sahlins – anthropological theoretical truths that I learned from Marshall Sahlins and other professors at University of Michigan 1968 – 1984 1)Original Affluent Society Section from Physical anthropology text on foraging societies 2) Culture is symbolic sign guided behavior (Prof.s Leslie White and Marshall Sahlins); symbolic signs are using something to represent something it is not. - In the beginning was the Word John 1:1 ► In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - What’s in a name or word ? what's in a name? names are arbitrary labels. This phrase comes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: ‘What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet’. What someone or something is called or labeled is arbitrary compared to their or its intrinsic qualities. A reference to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet bemoans Romeo's last name of Montague, her family's sworn enemies. English “rose” is “airtafae” in Arabic (ارتفع) Claude Levi-Strauss Structural anthropology logic of structural linguistics of Saussure; semiotic anthropology Les Pensee Sauvage -Hunters and gatherers have scientific knowledge of plants and animals0 Semiotics Semiotics for Beginners : http://visual-memory.co.uk/daniel/Documents/S4B/ Wikipedia :”Semiotics (also called semiotic studies) is the systematic study of sign processes (semiosis) and meaning making. Semiosis is any activity, conduct, or process that involves signs, where a sign is defined as anything that communicates something, usually called a meaning, to the sign's interpreter. The meaning can be intentional such as a word uttered with a specific meaning, or unintentional, such as a symptom being a sign of a particular medical condition. Signs can also communicate feelings (which are usually not considered meanings) and may communicate internally (through thought itself) or through any of the senses: visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, or gustatory (taste). Contemporary semiotics is a branch of science that studies meaning-making and various types of knowledge.[1] The semiotic tradition explores the study of signs and symbols as a significant part of communications. Unlike linguistics, semiotics also studies non-linguistic sign systems. Semiotics includes the study of signs and sign processes, indication, designation, likeness, analogy, allegory, metonymy, metaphor, symbolism, signification, and communication. Semiotics is frequently seen as having important anthropological and sociological dimensions; for example the Italian semiotician and novelist Umberto Eco proposed that every cultural phenomenon may be studied as communication.[2] Some semioticians focus on the logical dimensions of the science, however. They examine areas also belonging to the life sciences—such as how organisms make predictions about, and adapt to, their semiotic niche in the world (see semiosis). Fundamental semiotic theories take signs or sign systems as their object of study; applied semiotics analyzes cultures and cultural artifacts according to the ways they construct meaning through their being signs. The communication of information in living organisms is covered in biosemiotics (including zoosemiotics and phytosemiotics). Semiotics is not to be confused with the Saussurean tradition called semiology, which is a subset of semiotics.[3][4] Nature of Language – handout Diff. Other animal’s and human’ communication Similarities: Human and other animal communication: imitation ; indexical signs __________ Iconographic signs; show/tell; ability of animals to imitate each other; only humans have show/tellsor iconographic signs Picture of Pipe Iconographic and metaphor; algebra (Levi-Strauss) CB: hypothesis: First Language as music Genome – The full set and identical order of DNA codons shared by all members of a species Wikipedia: “Genome” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genome An image of the 46 chromosomes making up the diploid genome of a human male. (The mitochondrial chromosome is not shown.) In the fields of molecular biology and genetics, a genome is all genetic information of an organism.[1] It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding genes, the other functional regions of the genome (see non-coding DNA), and any junk DNA if it is present.[2][3] Algae and plants contain chloroplasts with a chloroplast genome and almost all eukaryotes have mitochondria and a mitochondrial genome.[2] The study of the genome is called genomics. The genomes of many organisms have been sequenced and various regions have been annotated. The International Human Genome Project reported the sequence of the genome for Homo sapiens in 2004 [1], although the initial "finished" sequence was missing 8% of the genome consisting mostly of repetitive sequences. With advancements in technology that could handle sequencing of the many repetitive sequences found in human DNA that were not fully uncovered by the original Human Genome Project study, scientists reported the first end-to-end human genome sequence in March, 2022.[4] When they say Modern Homo sapiens they mean the genome is fixed at that time; We here in 2022 have the same genome as Homo sapiens about 200,000 years ago . geno-TYPE is selected for or against; that is genes shared by many individuals of the same genome or species not an individual’s specific gene’s Phenotype is behavior, bodily and organic motion as well as structure/object ( like culture is behavior). Human-Genus Homo evolutionary pattern of increasing brain size : why was increased brain size selected for ? Mainly for _social_ intelligence (not modern iq). Intelligence in courting _culture_ , in the first place. May at first seem to be smarter fighters/hunters , physically fit, selected for or literally the most fit. However, struggle for existence, getting enough to eat and not getting eaten is highly socialized project with humans . Those smarter , fitter individuals bless the whole group ( some with smaller brains) with the benefits of their larger brain. It’s a “from each according to ability, to each according to need” society; highly charitable and sharing.(See below essay “ is human nature social or selfish ?”) Increasing brain size evidently reaches diminishing fitness returns with Homo sapiens Neanderthal had bigger average brain size than Homo sapiens sapiens , but Homo sapiens absorbed Neanderthal and is essentially more fit than Neanderthal. Teeth smaller and smaller, so more room for brain; cooking food positive feedback loop with control of fire From: Charles Brown Subject: October 12, 2022 Anthropology 152 Lecture 9 October 12, 2022 Anthropology 152 Lecture 9 Chart with pictures for Paleolithic, neo, civ, band , tribe Section from Physical anthropology. Original Affluent Society Sahlins – anthropological theoretical truths that I learned from Marshall Sahlins and other professors at University of Michigan 1968 - 1984 Culture is symbolic (Leslie White) In the beginning was the Word What’s in a Word ? Iconographic signs; show/tell; ability of animals to imitate each other; only humans have show/tells or iconographic signs Picture of Pipe Iconographic and metaphor; algebra (Levi-Strauss) Diff. Other animal’s and human’ communication Similarities: Human and other animal communication Nature of Language - handout Original Affluent Society Levi-Strauss Les Pensee Sauvage Structuralism Semiotics CB: First Language as music Genome – The full set and identical order of DNA codons shared by all members of a species When they say Modern Homo sapiens they mean the genome is fixed at that time; We here in 2022 have the same genome as Homo sapiens about 200,000 years ago . geno-TYPE is selected for or against; that is genes shared by many individuals of the same genome or species not an individual’s specific gene’s Phenotype is behavior, bodily and organic motion as well as structure/object ( like culture is behavior). Human-Genus Homo evolutionary pattern of increasing brain size : why was increased brain size selected for ? Mainly for _social_ intelligence (not modern iq). Intelligence in courting _culture_ , in the first place. May at first seem to be smarter fighters/hunters , physically fit, selected for or literally the most fit. However, struggle for existence, getting enough to eat and not getting eaten is highly socialized project with humans . Those smarter , fitter individuals bless the whole group ( some with smaller brains) with the benefits of their larger brain. It’s a “from each according to ability, to each according to need” society; highly charitable and sharing. (Insert essay on “ is human nature social or selfish ?”) Increasing brain size evidently reaches diminishing fitness returns with Homo sapiens Neanderthal had bigger average brain size than Homo sapiens sapiens , but Homo sapiens absorbed Neanderthal and is essentially more fit than Neanderthal. Teeth smaller and smaller, so more room for brain; cooking food positive feedback loop with control of fire