ANT 100 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Flight Attendant, Linguistic Relativity, Linguistic Determinism
Document Summary
Module 15: there are two variations of the theory of linguistic relativity: the strong hypothesis (linguistic determinism) and the weak hypothesis (linguistic relativity). It is important to note that the terms "strong" and "weak" do not refer to the academic argumentation"s power, but rather to the extent to which language is considered to impact the human mind and behavior. According to the strong version, the language we use determines/limits how we think about and see the real world. According to the weak version, language influences how we think and see the real world to some extent, but it does not dictate or restrict it. The capacity of humans to learn and speak numerous languages calls into question the strong form of the idea because learning multiple languages does not affect the way a person thinks. As a result, the vast majority of linguists and anthropologists reject the strong form of the sapir-whorf hypothesis.
