"Becoming a Linguist"

The first Chapter of Bastard Tongues titled Becoming a Linguist begins with the author explaining how it was teaching English Literature to West Africans. The author made a statement which connects to my current honors Cultural Anthropology class and my prior Sociology class.

The author disagreed on the western African way of life. The dispute was based on how is the correct way to hold a baby. In western Africa Ghanaians to be precise, mothers carry their baby on their back. On the other hand, the author explains that is the “wrong” way to hold a baby. While the “right” way is in her arms (BT4). This shows that culture determines the way of life. What may seem right for one culture may show wrong for the next. This is described as the sociology term deviance. For instance, the author who is the teacher explains what he think is the right way, while a student responded “What a stupid way to carry a baby” ( BT4). This is a prime example of ethnocentrism. An ethnocentric person who behave in this way tends to judge others culture with theirs to try to justify their way of life.

I admire how the author questions “how could you ever get over cultural barriers like these”. (BT5). From my perspective I think it is impossible to get over cultural barriers because every culture has different norms that the people in that culture must obey. To add, if they do not it would be a symbol as taboo. Besides all culture has a different view of life and how it should be lived.

This event was the turning point for the author to start studying linguistics, scientific study of language (5). Becoming a linguist brought the author to my homeland, Guyana. When the author went to Guyana he met with a guy named Bill Murray. The uncanny aspect of this is I am Guyanese and my last name is Murray.