Language, Culture and Society

Catalog description

Language permeates all aspects of the human experience, and the study of language is one of the most interdisciplinary fields of academic inquiry. This course will introduce students to the core concepts, theories and methodologies that form the study of language from an anthropological perspective. Special emphasis will be placed on the contributions of linguistic anthropology to the experience and understanding of language in multicultural environments as well as the development of linguistic and cultural competency. In addition to studying linguistic diversity and change within and across cultural contexts and how languages shape human thought and behavior, this course will also explore the intersections among language, social differentiation and stratification in connection to gender, race, ethnicity, class, and age among other dimensions. Students will explore the work of linguistic anthropologists through a variety of case studies and will consider (and experiment with) the research and analytical strategies by which these studies have been conducted. The significant contributions of linguistic anthropology to the social sciences and its practical applications within specific institutional and professional settings will also be emphasized.