Instructions for Watching Darmok (Star Trek TNG, S5E42) Write: Jot down these qu
ID: 145999 • Letter: I
Question
Instructions for Watching Darmok (Star Trek TNG, S5E42) Write: Jot down these questions and answer them as you watch the film. You will need to submit your answers in the discussion section (later in this module) to get participation points (see rubric below). . What is the basis of the language and thought of the Tamarian culture? . How does Picard eventually come to communicate with his alien counterpart? . What methods of cultural anthropology do you observe through this interaction? Give a specific example of one of the methods.Explanation / Answer
1. Tamarian language was the language spoken by the tamarians.
Unlike normal language , tamarian language took reference entirely from the mythological and historical people and events .
For example , a phrase in the tamarian "Darmok in the ocean " describes loneliness as a person in tamarian history ,named Darmok was left alone in the sea.
2. After failing in the efforts of communicating with Picard , the Tamarian leaves the camp for some time . During this time , Picard starts to investigate the place ,to know more about the Tamarian language . After some time, tamarian comes back running and shouting " Darmok and Jalad " and handed a knife in Picard hands . Picard thinks the Tamarian wants to fight and simply refuses .
But then Picard hears the sounds behind the Tamarian , realising the Tamarian are in danger and the phrase "Darmok and Jalad " actually means to fight together . At that time he realised that the Tamarians actually speaks in metaphor.
3.Participant observation - It relies on the assumption that more the interaction with a group of people , the better we understand them.
Ethnography - the anthropologists will stay in the society , observe them and write it in a piece of paper as observations . This method is called ethnography .