Linguistic Anthropology

4.0 credits

In this introduction to linguistic anthropology, we will take as our starting point the idea that language does not merely describe the world; rather, linguistic practices play a key role in constituting social relations and cultural formations. Communication enables us to form social groups, to create and sustain social differences, to share cultural conceptions of the world, and to learn models of behavior. Through ethnographic case studies, we will explore each of these issues in turn. We will examine how language works as a communicative system and consider the relationship between communication and culture. We will explore language differences within society and the role of language in the production of social identities and power relations. Finally, we will approach language as a cultural product, exploring traditions of performance and communicative genres (narratives, ritual speech, poetry, slang, etc.). In addition to classic and contemporary readings, we will watch films and video clips from popular media, and analyze advertisements, newspaper articles, and political speeches. Quizzes and a series of written assignments will help students learn to think like a linguistic anthropologist.