Topic: Language & Social Interaction
CANCELLED.
| Time | Days | Location | Instructor | GER | Credit | OPUS Class Number | Syllabus (Tentative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2745 | TBA. |
January 12, 2011- April 25, 2011
Catalog Description: (Same as Anthropology 340R.) This course studies relations between language and society, relations between language and sociocultural context. Topics may include: language variation; multilingualism; verbal interaction; discourse analysis; ethnography of communication; sociolinguistics of Spanish.
Semester Details: In this course, we will take an interdisciplinary approach to answer two key questions: 1) How does society affect the way people use language? and 2) How does language affect society? We will begin with a cross-cultural investigation into the social rules that underlie language use within a society. We will use discourse analysis to understand how language has social, expressive, and referential functions that allow us to produce cooperative conversations. We will then explore language attitudes - the perceptions, beliefs, and stereotypes that are commonly attached to language and language use. We will investigate where such attitudes come from, how they are disseminated throughout a society, as well as how they affect our linguistic choices. Finally, we will look at real world applications and outcomes of language attitudes, including language discrimination and linguistic profiling. Students will be introduced to both qualitative and quantitative methods for the elicitation and analysis of data, and will develop their own research projects.
Required Textbooks, Articles, and Resources
- 1997. English with an Accent: Language, ideology, and discrimination in the United States. ISBN: 9780415114776.
- Various articles on electronic reserve.
Grading
| Assignment/Exam | Details | % of Total Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Grading will be based on class participation, several short response papers and/or field assignments, and a final research paper. |
The schedule of courses on O.P.U.S. is the official listing of courses, including days and times they meet and the General Education Requirements they satisfy. Students should use course descriptions as general guidelines. Course requirements, grading details, book lists, and syllabi are subject to change.