A Womens Dinner Cultural Event - Report Example

Analysis of a Women’s Dinner (a Cultural Event) Using Hymes’ “SPEAKING” Pattern Analysis of a Women’s Dinner (a Cultural Event) Using Hymes’ “SPEAKING” Pattern Introduction Many scholars believe that there exists a relationship between an individual’s ability to use the process of communication and how well they fit the society (Wiemann & Backlund, 1980). In order for the individual to function effectively in the society, they must reach a certain level of competence in the language or languages used by that society. In addition, they must possess an acceptable level of competency in the non-verbal or body language or languages of the society. Many anthropological linguists term this competence “communicative competence”. The term is a relatively new one, having first gained popularity in the writings of Hymes in the early 1970s. This paper analyzes a womens dinner, a cultural event, using Hymes "SPEAKING" pattern. Review of Literature Raymond Williams is widely considered the father of modern anthropological linguistics(McGill, 2013). The overriding idea that Williams propagated was that words have both particular and contextual meanings. The particular meaning of a word is fixed no matter where it is used. By contrast, the contextual meaning of a word varies depending on the setting in and circumstances under which it is used. Based on this basic idea, much research has been conducted. For instance, researchers have attempted to explore the relationship between language and cultural events. While many activities that may take place at a cultural event, such as a dance may not use words, the message may still be put across through body language. Thus, in order to engage meaningfully with a given culture, a person must have a basic understanding of the verbal and non-verbal languages of the culture. Anthropologists and anthropological linguists agree that there is a strong relationship between anthropology and language. It is by means of language that people exchange cultures. Anthropologists, more often than not, need a basic understanding of the language of the community whose culture they set out to study. At a more personal level, if an individual is to fit a given culture, they need a reasonable mastery of the language used in that culture. In the early 1970s, Hymes coined the term "communicative competence" to refer to the level of mastery of a given language. Over the years, anthropologists have researched extensively(Bachand, 2013). Much of their research work is available at at least one of these three categories of libraries: governmental, private or institutional. Also, some of the literature is available online from the several sites that host scholarly articles. Nonetheless, to a greater extent, anthropologists continue to rely primarily on printed sources. Unfortunately, much of the research in anthropology remains fragmented. For instance, one may not come across an encyclopedia that brings together all research work on cultural events. This scenario makes desktop research in anthropology difficult. Cultural identity refers to the part of a person’s self-concept that emanates from their membership to a group that subscribes to a given culture (Jaspal, 2009). Collective cultural identity, on the other hand, stems from the need of groups to define and distinguish themselves from the wider society. For instance, the Turkish Cultural Centres across the United States enables Americans of Turkish descent and visiting Turks to stay in touch with the Turkish culture and set themselves apart from the wider contemporary culture of Americans. In order for a group to sustain their cultural identity, there must be a string that binds them together, such as a common heritage. In its simplest form, sociolinguistics studies the link between society and language. There exist several possible relationships. First, the way the society is structured may influence the structure of language. For example, in a country with several ethnic groups, the language of the most dominant group may be adopted as the national language. Secondly, language may influence the structure of the society. Thirdly, the two aspects may influence each other simultaneously. The third relationship has received less scholarly attention (Garner, Raschka, & Sercombe, 2006). Analysis of the Event Setting The dinner has been organized to take place at the Turkish Cultural Center (TCC) in Manhattan, New York. While not entirely new to Manhattan TCC, women’s dinners are less frequent than other activities the center organizes from to time. These include friendship dinners, cultural nights, classes in Turkish, luncheon forums, Turkish festivals, family matching and Ambassador’s series among others. This venue is widely accessible to the public and this fact is likely to ensure good attendance (Harddix, 2008). However, the price of a plate of dinner may lock out many people who would otherwise have turned up. Participants The participants at the event are middle-class women of American, Kurdish, Kurgyz, Arabic and Turkish descent. This is quite diversified a group. Each of these cultures differs significantly from the others. For instance, while Arabic and Turkish cultures are heavily influenced by Islam, the American culture is largely influenced by Christianity and secularism. These differences create a conducive environment for the women to learn from the cultures of one another (Jordan, 2005). If, on the other hand, all the participants were of the same culture, there would have been little to learn. Familiarity would have bred contempt. End Results of the Event At the end of the dinner, its organizers hope to realize a number of goals (van Ostade, 2012). First, they hope to build friendships across the cultures represented at the event. In particular, they intend to present the Turkish culture to the other cultures. They also wish to market Turkey to the participating women as a tourist destination of choice. Finally, they hope to paint Islam, a major influence on the Turkish culture, and Turkish Muslims in good light. This last objective is particularly important, coming at a time when a majority of non-Muslim Americans associate Islam with terrorism. Thus, the organizers of the event may want to illustrate that terrorists are individuals, not a religion. Act Sequence Alongside other presentations, a number of speeches will be made by representatives of the various cultures present at the event. However, as the promotion of the Turkish culture is the overriding goal of the dinner, more time will be allocated to Turkish speakers. The event is casual, not a formal one. As such, the speeches are expected to demonstrate this fact (Garner, Raschka, & Sercombe, 2006). The speakers will be expected to adopt a relaxed, conversational style in delivering their speeches. This contrasts with the formal tone of corporate events. Such informality, the organizers of the dinner believe, will create a friendlier atmosphere for the participants to learn from one another. Key The overriding message of the event is that Islam and the Turkish culture are good. This theme will run through the speeches that will be made by Turkish speakers. Besides speeches, this theme will be consistent throughout all the other presentations that will be made at the dinner. These are discussed below under the heading “Instrumentalities”. The idea is to present the message in a simple, informal manner in keeping with the nature of the dinner itself (Jordan, 2005). It is important that the organizers see to it that participants do not feel that they are being lectured to about the Turkish culture. Instrumentalities In addition to the speeches, the message that Islam and Turkish culture are good will be communicated through a number of channels. These a short video on Turkey, food, art music and dance. In addition, traditional Turkish articles such as dresses, handmade jugs and jewelry will be displayed. Music and dance will be especially important as they will lighten the mood of the event. Then, the dinner will not be complete without food where guests will be treated to traditional Turkish delicacies. However, in using these tools to promote the Turkish culture, the organizers will need to bear in mind the fact that not all the guests will embrace the culture in the same way. This fact calls for moderation of every medium (Jordan, 2005). Norms Norms are social rules that govern the way the members of a society behave in different settings (Garner, Raschka, & Sercombe, 2006). While these rules are not written down, the society expects every member to know and adhere to them. This dinner event is not exempted from social norms. Participants are expected to wear red dinner dresses. However, in keeping with the variety of cultures to be represented at the event, participants will be allowed to modify the dress code in a manner that will consistent with their culture. Moreover, this is a women’s dinner. As such, guests are not expected to bring with them their husbands or boyfriends. This requirement is a strict one. Otherwise, the event will cease being a women’s dinner. Genre Many of the speeches to be given at the dinner will be of the informative type. Each speaker will inform the audience about their culture. However, they will not attempt to persuade members of the audience to observe their culture. Whether or not to adopt an aspect of an alien culture, based on what will have been presented, will be left to the discretion of the individuals (Garner, Raschka, & Sercombe, 2006). Most speakers will have had adequate time prepare their speeches. However, in order to inject some “naturalness” into the speeches, the master of ceremony may call upon a member or two of the audience to speak extemporaneously. Conclusion While speeches will not be the sole medium used to present the Turkish culture to the guests at the dinner, they will, nevertheless, be an integral part of the event. For instance, the significance of a video clip or a dance may need to be explained in a speech. Thus, to a large extent, the success or failure of the dinner will depend on how well the various speakers will have mastered the art of speaking to an audience in an informal setting (Wiemann & Backlund, 1980). References Bachand, B. (2013). Anthropology Libraries and Anthropological Research Today. Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, 32(3)176-193. Garner, M., Raschka, C., & Sercombe, P. (2006). Sociolinguistic Minorities, Research, and Social Relationships. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 27(1)61-78. Harddix, M. (2008). Beyond Sociolinguistics: Towards a Critical Approach to Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Teacher Education. Language and Education, 254-270. Jaspal, R. (2009). Language and social identity: A psychosocial approach. Psych-Talk, 17-20. Jordan, J. (2005). Dell Hymes, Kenneth Burkes "Identification," and the Birth of Sociolinguistics. Rhetoric Review, 24(3)264-279. McGill, K. (2013). Political Economy and Language: A Review of Some Recent Literature. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, 23(2)196-213. van Ostade, I. T.-B. (2012). An Introduction to English Sociolinguistics. English Studies, 93(8) 993-996. Wiemann, J., & Backlund, P. (1980). Current Theory and Research in Communicative Competence. Review of Educational Research, 50(1)185-199. Read More