Sound and Symbols: Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology

This introduction to the study of language and culture considers how language not only reflects social reality but also creates it. We'll examine specific cases of broad current relevance, in the process learning how an analytical anthropological approach to language use lays bare its often hidden power. We'll consider how language creates and reinforces social inequality and difference, how language promotes and resists globalization, and how language is used creatively in performance, literature, film, advertising, and mass media. We will also consider how language does important social work in specific contexts, such as classrooms, courtrooms, medical settings, and political campaigns.