Language and Culture (Fall 2007 Syllabus)

Adam Hodges, Colorado State University - Fort Collins

Abstract

This course provides a foundation in linguistic anthropology, one of the four basic subfields of anthropology. Linguistic anthropologists seek to examine language as a form of social action in order to understand the way culture and society emerge through its use. Throughout the course, we will examine language ethnographically and work toward a critical awareness of the role language plays in social, cultural and political relations. Students will become familiar with several key concepts important to the study of language and culture, including indexicality, interdiscursivity and ideology. Topics to be addressed include the following: language, thought and reality; meaning and interpretation; linguistic diversity and language endangerment; language and identity; pidgins, creoles and language change; language, gender and race; and language, the nation, and politics.