Language and Culture in Italy

Catalog description

This course explores language as a part of culture within Italy. It introduces the study of language from a wide variety of anthropological perspectives, showing how language is embedded in different social, cultural, and historical contexts in Italy. One of the fundamental concepts of the course is the mutually influential relationship between Italian culture, on the one hand, and patterns of language use, on the other. How does language help us construct certain identities? How does language foster social inclusion and exclusion in migration processes in Italy? Why is language critical for the exercise of power? Topics include language and the construction of social identity among Italians; the revitalization of Italian regional dialects; language use in the anti-immigration politics of the Lega Nord (`Northern League’) political party; regional storytelling; racialized language in Italian everyday life; and language ideologies around Italian stereotypes, including those around hospitality and corruption. Offered every two years.