Syllabus
Session
Topic
Required Readings 1
Preview of the course
Introduction to linguistic and cultural anthropology
Duranti, 2009 2
The beginnings of modern linguistic anthropology
Duranti, 2009: 263-278 3
Language, culture, and worldview
Martin, 1986
Everett, 2008 (introduction)
Nevins, Pesetsky, & Rodrigues, 2007 4
Universal Grammar
Dabrowska, 2015
Evans & Levinson, 2009 5
The primordial scene of socio-cultural life: Conversational exchanges from an anthropological viewpoint
Tannen, 1984,
Sacks, Schegloff & Jefferson, 1974
Dingemanse & Floyd, 2014 6
"Social media culture" and linguistic self-construction
Lee, 2014
Mahay, 2013
Crystal, 2006 7
Digital linguistic anthropology: Language change in online communities 8
Oral folklore and spoken art
Salzmann, 2004
Sindoni, 2010 9
"Desi land": Teen culture, gender, race
Shankar, 2008
Lotherington, 2003
Schleef, Meyerhoff, & Clark, 2011 10
Language vitality, death, and revitalization: The role of English
Eckert et al., 2014
Kornai, 2013 11
Linguistic anthropology in the contemporary world
Student presentations 12
Linguistic anthropology in the contemporary world
Student presentations 13
Linguistic anthropology in the contemporary world
Student presentations
Annotation
Linguistic anthropology studies the relationship between language and culture, as well as the linkages between language, culture, and cognition. Language is defined as the common human condition, which is also a fundamental mode of diversity across communities, and considered an integral part of culture – the sum of knowledge and practices shared by members of a community.
This course provides an overview of important and current topics in the field and focusses on the question of how linguistic variation and categorization can be investigated from an anthropological perspective. In addition, research methods, including digital means to study culture and language, will be discussed.
Students will become familiar with philosophical ideas, sociolinguistic models, and anthropological theories that have inspired the anthropology of language. An up-to-date review of the latest theories and findings in all the key areas will be presented alongside famous and influential studies that have shaped anthropological approaches to language in the past.