Anthropology 141 Fall 2016
Ethnography of Everyday Speech Cheryl Sullivan
Midterm:
Dinner Time at Sherrie’s;
Directives
Introduction
Sherrie’s home is a home share mainly for international students who are looking to study in the United States and would like the comfortable atmosphere of a home. I am the only student that is a United States born, native English speaker. I was allowed entry because I am doing anthropological and linguistic work. Sherrie is a teacher of young children, some of them in the special education program. She, herself, is a student going to school to become a certified teacher in a particular program.
Because the home share is organized more as a family home, there are family dinners that occur daily with minor exception. The family dinner is organized so that when Sherrie is finished making dinner between 6pm and 7pm she calls everyone into the kitchen to come collect food, buffet style, and to find our places at the table. There are also some minor rules about family dinner: there are to …show more content…
“An important component of the process through which mothers discipline children consists of giving directives. These frequently take the shape of direct imperatives...Following an initial request, children may respond with an excuse or complaint which counters mother 's initial action rather than with compliance” I consider Sherrie to be the den mother of the house, because she keeps order and because she is like the second mother to Kate. This can be seen in the interaction above. Sherrie starts by using a direct imperative, however in order to maintain a playful free-flowing vibe she adds the question using the same intonation as one would use with a child. Kate, as the child in this mother/child directive sequence, response with an excuse of her dislike for broccoli. This then becomes the start for a conversation about preferences on
Ethnography of Everyday Speech Cheryl Sullivan
Midterm:
Dinner Time at Sherrie’s;
Directives
Introduction
Sherrie’s home is a home share mainly for international students who are looking to study in the United States and would like the comfortable atmosphere of a home. I am the only student that is a United States born, native English speaker. I was allowed entry because I am doing anthropological and linguistic work. Sherrie is a teacher of young children, some of them in the special education program. She, herself, is a student going to school to become a certified teacher in a particular program.
Because the home share is organized more as a family home, there are family dinners that occur daily with minor exception. The family dinner is organized so that when Sherrie is finished making dinner between 6pm and 7pm she calls everyone into the kitchen to come collect food, buffet style, and to find our places at the table. There are also some minor rules about family dinner: there are to …show more content…
“An important component of the process through which mothers discipline children consists of giving directives. These frequently take the shape of direct imperatives...Following an initial request, children may respond with an excuse or complaint which counters mother 's initial action rather than with compliance” I consider Sherrie to be the den mother of the house, because she keeps order and because she is like the second mother to Kate. This can be seen in the interaction above. Sherrie starts by using a direct imperative, however in order to maintain a playful free-flowing vibe she adds the question using the same intonation as one would use with a child. Kate, as the child in this mother/child directive sequence, response with an excuse of her dislike for broccoli. This then becomes the start for a conversation about preferences on