1. Why is the difference between a sign and a symbol so crucial to understanding the nature of human language? Is there a relationship between a culture's basic socio-cultural patterns and the ways in which its members use language?
2. Can you think of ways in your own lives that sex or gender have an effect on what you ordinarily do?
Optional Credit possibility: In some cultures a woman may marry another woman and a man may marry another man. What does this tell us about the relationships among sex, gender and life in society? In those societies? or in general?
3. What generalizations can you make about the relationships among environment, technology and carrying capacity? Optional Credit Possibility: Some scholars have suggested that ultimately the development of food growing technologies around 10,000 B.C.E. can be thought of as a disaster for human socio-cultural life. Put together some arguments supporting and some arguments contradicting this argumernt
4. What conditions do you think are necessary for a society to adopt large or small kin groups as a major organizing system? Optional Credit possibility: What are some of the functions of large extended kin groups in the societies in which they are found?