ANTH/ENG 214 – Take-home final exam Fall 2014 Page 1 of 2 Summary: This 50-point take-home, open-book final exam is intended to measure whether you have met the student learning objectives as articulated in the syllabus and to help you synthesize discrete topics from the course. You may consult with other members of the class, but you must explicitly name any people you work with and write up your own answers regardless. The essays should be well organized and copy-edited, but do not not need to include a formal list of references (though you should cite readings if you quote or take specific ideas from them). Submission Instructions: Your answers should be submitted electronically via Moodle upload by 3:00 PM on Thursday, December 11, as a Word or .pdf file. Be sure to clearly label this file with your name in two places – in the text of the file itself, and also as part of the filename as follows: [Your name]-final exam answers 1.) In California, an initiative (Proposition 63) to amend the state constitution to make English the official language of the state was introduced in 1986. It was opposed by all leading politicians in California, with the exception of then-U.S. Senator Pete Wilson. Here are some reactions from the time: • Governor Deukmejian called it “unnecessary” and said “it would cause fear, confusion and resentment among many minority Californians.” • Roman Catholic bishops in California said it would “enshrine prejudice in the law and jeopardize all forms of bilingual assistance.” • The Los Angeles City Council said it was “contrary to [their] most basic principles of equality and opportunity.” • The League of Women Voters, Chambers of Commerce all over California, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the American Civil Liberties Union, and organizations of ethnic minorities all came out against the amendment, as well as California’s largest newspapers in their editorials. Nevertheless, on election day, 73% of the electorate statewide – and a majority in every California county – voted in favor of this initiative to make English the official language of California. Reflecting on course concepts, discuss a possible explanation as for why this was – that is, being that policymakers and public organizations were so heavily against this proposition, why did it pass by such a large margin? (5 points) 2.) Three-part short essay (10 points): a. State a myth about a Native American language of the present-day United States (or a general myth about all of them) that doesn’t involve words for snow. b. Referencing specific examples from course lectures and readings (especially Flutes of Fire) show that it is a myth (i.e., give several specific counterexamples). If appropriate to the myth you reference, you should also incorporate general linguistic theory.1 c. Referencing the arguments of Pullum (1991) and course discussions rega.
ANTH/ENG 214 – Take-home final exam Fall 2014 Page 1 of 2 Summary: This 50-point take-home, open-book final exam is intended to measure whether you have met the student learning objectives as articulated in the syllabus and to help you synthesize discrete topics from the course. You may consult with other members of the class, but you must explicitly name any people you work with and write up your own answers regardless. The essays should be well organized and copy-edited, but do not not need to include a formal list of references (though you should cite readings if you quote or take specific ideas from them). Submission Instructions: Your answers should be submitted electronically via Moodle upload by 3:00 PM on Thursday, December 11, as a Word or .pdf file. Be sure to clearly label this file with your name in two places – in the text of the file itself, and also as part of the filename as follows: [Your name]-final exam answers 1.) In California, an initiative (Proposition 63) to amend the state constitution to make English the official language of the state was introduced in 1986. It was opposed by all leading politicians in California, with the exception of then-U.S. Senator Pete Wilson. Here are some reactions from the time: • Governor Deukmejian called it “unnecessary” and said “it would cause fear, confusion and resentment among many minority Californians.” • Roman Catholic bishops in California said it would “enshrine prejudice in the law and jeopardize all forms of bilingual assistance.” • The Los Angeles City Council said it was “contrary to [their] most basic principles of equality and opportunity.” • The League of Women Voters, Chambers of Commerce all over California, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the American Civil Liberties Union, and organizations of ethnic minorities all came out against the amendment, as well as California’s largest newspapers in their editorials. Nevertheless, on election day, 73% of the electorate statewide – and a majority in every California county – voted in favor of this initiative to make English the official language of California. Reflecting on course concepts, discuss a possible explanation as for why this was – that is, being that policymakers and public organizations were so heavily against this proposition, why did it pass by such a large margin? (5 points) 2.) Three-part short essay (10 points): a. State a myth about a Native American language of the present-day United States (or a general myth about all of them) that doesn’t involve words for snow. b. Referencing specific examples from course lectures and readings (especially Flutes of Fire) show that it is a myth (i.e., give several specific counterexamples). If appropriate to the myth you reference, you should also incorporate general linguistic theory.1 c. Referencing the arguments of Pullum (1991) and course discussions rega.