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Saturday
Apr072012

R: Language is another word for culture

Thursday, April 5th at 7.30pm

In the Book of Genesis, the story of the Tower of Babel looks back to a time of cultural and lingual homogeneity which was then followed by the dispersion of people and, as a consequence, changes through the development of customs and evolution of language.  Once viewed exclusively as a biblical twist on Aristophane's speech from the Symposium (God acting against the hubris of man and his ardent desire to reach the level of divine), contemporary views now focus more on the purpose of heterogeneity in the world.  Language, in a very basic way, is a difficult barrier to overcome when attempting to foster relationships with members of foreign communities and can instead foster isolation.  In the context of an increasingly globalized society, a reflection on the role of language is important.  Language, our collection of descriptions and accents forged in spoken word, works as a fusion and reflection of our cultural struggles and personal experiences.  But is language a true reflection of our culture?  Please join us this Thursday in the Berkeley Mendenhall Room for our weekly debate!

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