Casa · C1 Advanced · Lesson 19 of 20 · Step 2

Cultural Anthropology

Lexical Cohesion and Text Organisation at Paragraph Level

Use lexical cohesion devices — repetition, synonymy, hyponymy, collocation chains — to create unified paragraphs
Analyse how professional writers achieve coherence through vocabulary choices
Produce well-organised, cohesive paragraphs on complex anthropological topics

Words · tap a card to see it used

Grammar

Lexical cohesion and text organisation at paragraph level

Lexical cohesion creates textual unity through vocabulary relationships. Key devices: repetition (using the same word), synonymy (using different words with similar meaning — 'culture' / 'society' / 'community'), hyponymy (general-specific — 'rituals' includes 'wedding ceremonies, funerals, festivals'), collocation chains (related words that naturally cluster — 'culture, traditions, customs, heritage, identity'). Effective paragraphs use a mix of these to create a cohesive semantic field. The 'given-new' principle places known information at the beginning of sentences and new information at the end, creating a smooth information flow.

Culture shapes identity. This identity, in turn, influences how communities interact with one another. Such interactions — whether cooperative or conflictual — ultimately define the character of a society.

The rituals of the community reflected their deepest values. Ceremonies marking birth, marriage, and death served not merely as social occasions but as reaffirmations of collective identity.

Indigenous knowledge systems encompass a vast range of practices. These practices — from agricultural techniques to medicinal traditions — represent centuries of accumulated wisdom.

Exercises · type, then check

1. Complete each gap with a word that maintains lexical cohesion within the paragraph.

1.Culture is transmitted through language. This process ensures that knowledge passes from one generation to the next.

2.The community observed strict food taboos. These had both spiritual and practical significance.

3.Migration leads to cultural contact. Such can result in acculturation, assimilation, or cultural hybridisation.

4.The diaspora maintained its traditions. These cultural served as a link to their ancestral homeland.

5.Ethnocentrism distorts understanding. This can be mitigated through sustained cross-cultural engagement.

2. Choose the option that best maintains lexical cohesion in the paragraph.

1. Kinship structures determine social roles. These ___ vary across cultures.

2. Rituals reinforce community identity. ___, festivals and ceremonies mark shared values.

3. Assimilation policies were imposed on indigenous communities. The ___ of these policies is still felt today.

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Reading

The Fabric of Culture

Culture is not a monolithic entity but a living fabric woven from countless threads — language, ritual, kinship, belief, and material practice. Each of these threads is connected to the others, so that a change in one inevitably affects the whole. Anthropologists have long sought to understand how this fabric holds together and what happens when it is torn. The concept of acculturation describes what occurs when two cultural systems come into sustained contact: elements of each are exchanged, adapted, and sometimes lost. This process of exchange is rarely symmetrical. When a dominant culture encounters a less powerful one, the pressure to assimilate can be overwhelming, and the resulting loss of traditions, languages, and knowledge systems constitutes a form of cultural erosion. Indigenous communities around the world have experienced this erosion firsthand. Their knowledge — accumulated over centuries of close engagement with specific environments — represents an irreplaceable resource. The diaspora communities that have formed as a result of displacement maintain cultural continuity through rituals, language, and the transmission of oral histories. These practices serve not merely as nostalgia but as active resistance against assimilation. Understanding these dynamics requires anthropologists to set aside ethnocentric assumptions and approach other cultures on their own terms — a deceptively simple principle that demands constant vigilance.

1. What metaphor does the passage use for culture, and why?

2. How do diaspora communities maintain cultural continuity, according to the passage?

Speaking · say it out loud, with a partner or alone

1Describe the cultural practices of a community you know well, using lexical cohesion to create a unified, coherent account. Your partner should identify the cohesive devices you used.

2Discuss: 'Globalisation is destroying cultural diversity.' Build your argument using collocation chains (culture, tradition, heritage, identity, community) to create lexical cohesion.

Writing

Write a well-organised paragraph (6–8 sentences) about a cultural practice or tradition. Focus on lexical cohesion: use repetition, synonymy, hyponymy, and the given-new principle to create a unified text.

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