Language and Identity

Catalog description

The idea that writing and language reflect identity is widely accepted, but the reverse proposition, that identity is constructed and mediated by language, is more troublesome because it challenges our commonly held cultural beliefs. In this course, we will consider the idea of identity as constructed by language by reading foundational theories and research in the fields of composition, sociolinguistics, and psychology. We will enter into a conversation with these ideas by examining how our own identities are constructed by language (via an autobiographical literacy narrative) as well as by completing an empirical study of literacy in a site of your choosing. Fulfills AOK 5