Brent Berlin
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| + | '''Overton Brent Berlin''' (born 1936) is an [[United States|American]] [[anthropology|anthropologist]], most noted for his work with [[Linguistics|linguist]] [[Paul Kay]] on [[color]], and his [[ethnobiology|ethnobiological]] research among the Maya of [[Chiapas]], [[Mexico]]. | ||
| - | As the study of the [[universal nature of human language]] and cognition came in to focus in the 1960s the idea of [[linguistic relativity]] fell out of favor. A 1969 study by [[Brent Berlin]] and [[Paul Kay]] showed that color terminology is subject to universal semantic constraints, and the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis was seen as completely discredited. | + | He received his [[Ph.D.]] from [[Stanford University]] in 1964. Until recently, Berlin was Graham Perdue Professor of Anthropology at the [[University of Georgia]], where he was also director of the Center for [[Latin America]]n and [[Caribbean]] Studies and co-director for the Laboratories of [[Ethnobiology]]. |
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| + | His work alongside [[Paul Kay]] on the 1969 publication of ''[[Basic Color Terms: Their Universality and Evolution]]'' built on the ideas of [[Lazarus Geiger]] in the field of [[Linguistic relativity and the color naming debate|color terminology research]] and has been highly influential in [[anthropology]], [[linguistics]] and [[cognitive sciences]]. Berlin and Kay concluded that the number of basic [[color term]]s in the world's languages are limited and center on certain focal colors, assumed to be cognitively [[hardwired]]. | ||
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| + | He led the [[International Cooperative Biodiversity Group|Maya ICGB]] project, a [[bioprospecting]] consortium, supported by the Biodiversity Program for the [[National Institutes of Health]], which was closed in 2001 after accusations of failure to obtain adequate informed consent from the Maya community from which he obtained [[indigenous knowledge]]. These allegations were primarily driven by a Canadian-based political activist organization, known at the time as RAFI. | ||
| + | He was elected a Fellow of the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] in 1981. | ||
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Overton Brent Berlin (born 1936) is an American anthropologist, most noted for his work with linguist Paul Kay on color, and his ethnobiological research among the Maya of Chiapas, Mexico.
He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1964. Until recently, Berlin was Graham Perdue Professor of Anthropology at the University of Georgia, where he was also director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and co-director for the Laboratories of Ethnobiology.
His work alongside Paul Kay on the 1969 publication of Basic Color Terms: Their Universality and Evolution built on the ideas of Lazarus Geiger in the field of color terminology research and has been highly influential in anthropology, linguistics and cognitive sciences. Berlin and Kay concluded that the number of basic color terms in the world's languages are limited and center on certain focal colors, assumed to be cognitively hardwired.
He led the Maya ICGB project, a bioprospecting consortium, supported by the Biodiversity Program for the National Institutes of Health, which was closed in 2001 after accusations of failure to obtain adequate informed consent from the Maya community from which he obtained indigenous knowledge. These allegations were primarily driven by a Canadian-based political activist organization, known at the time as RAFI. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1981.
