Race, Colonialism and Language

Catalog description

Racialization processes and their connection to colonialism and neo-colonialism have received increasing attention from scholars engaged in the study of language ideologies and discourse practices. This course will examine the connection between language, race and colonialism. The students will explore topics such as the role of linguistic ideologies in the colonialist enterprise; literacy instruction and the construction of hegemonic power; indigenous language revitalization, identity and cultural resistance; and legacies of colonialism in contemporary attitudes toward language. We will address questions such as: how does language map onto social groups organized around notions of race, ethnicity, and peoplehood? How is race constructed in everyday interactions? What are the relationships between the nationalist invention of standard languages and racism? What is the role of world English in today's globalized world?