Carly V.- Blog #8

The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis states that language creates culture. In my opinion, this hypothesis does not hold true in every culture. Although the identity of a culture is held partly within their language, their language certainly does not divide them nor define them. For example, the kids at Neque y Mas Neque are from a different culture than my own and they speak a different language than my own. Although this difference in language does provide some challenges, there are still things that are within each of our cultures that allow us to communicate. In this instance, I was able to communicate with the children through song and dance, gestures, expressions, and more. For me the language was not an issue because there were so many other things within our cultures that we could connect with, that the difference in language was only a minor hiccup in our communication abilities. I think that people define a culture. People have the ability to choose their language, and choose every aspect of their own culture. It is within these decisions that a culture is formed and established. It is also in the hands of the people as to whether or not connections between two different cultures can be made. In summary, to me language does not create a culture, but rather the people within the culture are those who create it.