The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis makes which claim about language?
AThought shapes language
BLanguage blocks thought
CThought replaces language
DLanguage shapes thought
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Language shapes thought
1. Sapir and Whorf argued that reality is culturally determined.
2. Any interpretation of reality rests on the language a society uses.
3. The hypothesis, also called linguistic relativity, states that language shapes thought.
4. People without the word ambivalent were found not to recognize that mixed feeling as an experience.
5. The claim runs from language to thought, so reversing the arrow gets it backwards.
6. It does not say language blocks thought; it says language gives thought its shape.
7. Nor does thought replace language, since language is the vehicle through which culture is transmitted.
_Source: OpenStax Introduction to Sociology 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 3 "Culture", Ch 4 "Society and Social Interaction" and Ch 5 "Socialization", section 3.2 Elements of Culture_
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