Final answer:
Conversation demonstrates linguistic intelligence and its use can reflect cognitive abilities and cultural values. Intelligence is contextually variable across cultures, with practical skills often valued as indicators of intelligence. The definition and measurement of intelligence have been subject to extensive debate and controversy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The connection between conversation and intelligence can be understood through various lenses. Conversation often relates to linguistic intelligence, which is the capacity to use language effectively, both in understanding and expression.
Our use of language in conversation can demonstrate cognitive abilities such as reasoning, the formulation of ideas, and the complexity of thought processes. This concept is echoed in the works of theorists like Kenneth Burke, who likened academic conversations to a never-ending parlor discussion, demonstrating the ongoing intellectual exchange that defines and reshapes cultural understanding.
Moreover, intelligence is culturally contextual. In certain cultures, practical skills such as fishing or boat repair may be regarded as markers of intelligence, aligning with the idea that intelligence has a practical dimension in terms of behaviors that promote success in a specific cultural context. Conversely, knowing a list of facts, like the order of U.S. presidents, might not necessarily contribute to success or be valued as 'intelligent' behavior in every setting.
It is also important to note that the concept of intelligence has been debated extensively, as seen in the work of Arthur Jensen, who suggested that intelligence comprises different types of abilities, and whose findings controversially suggested differences in these abilities among ethnic groups. Such conclusions have been challenged due to potential racial bias.