Ant 260 French

8/6/2019 Ant 260 French

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ANT 260: Language, Culture, and SocietySpring 2004

Class: T/TH 12:45-2:05

Room: 105 Goodnow Hall

Instructor: Dr. Brigittine FrenchOffice: 104 Goodnow HallOffice Hours: 11:00-12:00 M/T/TH

2:15-3:15 T/TH and by appointmentE-mail: [email protected]: 269-4816

Description This course provides an overview of linguistic anthropology, the study of

human language in its structural and cultural contexts. Through classlectures, readings, and discussions, students will become familiar with keyissues, themes, and theories about language in contemporaryanthropological and sociolinguistic scholarship. Questions addressedinclude: What is unique about human language? How does language operateas a sign system? What is the relationship between language and culture?How do language and language practices shape and reflect social identities?How are notions of language shaped by systems of social domination? Thecourse is designed to encourage students to become critical thinkers aboutthe ways that language and language use affect and are affected byindividuals, social groups, cultural practices, and politics.

Objectives1) To think holistically about language, to form an understanding of humanlanguage by integrating its structural and social aspects.2) To become familiar with the theories and methods used in linguisticanthropology.3) To develop the ability to synthesize and integrate perspectives addressedin the course.

Texts1) Bauman, Richard. 1984. Verbal Art As Performance. Prospect Heights,

IL: Waveland Press.2) Blount, Ben. 1995. Language, Culture, and Society: A Book of Readings.

2nd Edition. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press.3) Clark, Virginia, Paul Eschholz, and Alfred Rosa. 1998. Language:Readings in Language and Culture. 6th Edition. New York: St. Martin’s Press.4) Grenoble, Lenore A. and Lindsay J. Whaley. 1998. EndangeredLanguages: Language Loss and Community Response. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.

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5) Reserve readings. Two copies of the readings will be in the anthropology reading room on the 3 rd floorof Goodnow Hall. The building is open M-F from 8:00-5:00. Students may sign outthe materials for one hour in order to make personal copies.

Course Requirements:1) Examinations: There will be two take-home exams. Exams will consistprimarily of essay questions designed to address course materials covered inlectures, readings, videos, and class discussions.2) Research Paper/Proposal: There will be one formal paper. An annotatedbibliography will be due in conjunction with the paper.3) Reading Response Papers: Each student will write a brief (one page single-spaced) response to a set of assigned readings and present it to the class fordiscussion.4) Attendance and Participation: Attendance and participation are essentialto a successful class both individually and collectively. They are both

expected and graded.

Grading and EvaluationExam one 20 percent 40 pointsExam two 20 percent 40 pointsReading response 10 percent 20 pointsAnnotated bibliography 10 percent 20 pointsFinal paper 20 percent 40 pointsExercises 10 percent 20 pointsParticipation 10 percent 20points

Late AssignmentsNo late assignments will be accepted without prior discussion and approval.

Students with Disabilities:Anyone who has a disability that may require some modification of seating,testing, or other class requirements should inform me so that appropriatearrangements may be made. Please see me after class or during my officehours.

Topic 1: The Nature and Culture of Language T Jan 20 Course Introduction

TH Jan 22 Bolton, W. “Language: An Introduction” in Clark et.al. Pp. 61-73.Daniels, H. “Nine Ideas about Language” in Clark.

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T Jan 27 Fromkin et. al. “The Development of Language in Genie” in Clark,et. al. Pp. 588-604.Ochs, Elinor and Bambi Schieffelin. “Language Acquisitions andSocialization” in Blount.

Topic 2: Langue: Structure, Description, and Analysis TH Jan 29 de Saussure, F. Selections from A Course in General Linguisticspp. 1-17 and 65-78 in Reserve readings.Benveniste, Emile. "The Nature of the Linguistic Sign" pp. 17-27in Reserve readings.*Student response.

T Feb 3 Callary, Edward. “Phonetics” in Clark, et. al. Pp. 113-133.

TH Feb 5 OSLF. “The Minimal Units of Meaning: Morphemes” in Clark, et.al. Pp. 134-143.

EXERCISES DUE

T Feb 10 Henry, Frank. “Syntax: The Structure of Sentences” in Clark, et.al.

EXERCISES DUE

Topic 3: Language and Worldview TH Feb 12 Sapir, Edward. "The Unconscious Patterning of Behavior in

Society" in Blount.Whorf, B. "The Relation of Habitual Thought and Behavior toLanguage" in Blount.

*Student response.

T Feb 17 Frake, Charles. "The Ethnographic Study of Cognitive Systems"in Blount.

Lucy, John. “Whorf’s View of the Linguistic Mediation of Thought”in Blount.*Student response.

Topic 4: Ethnography of Communication TH Feb 19 Edwards, P. "Speech Communities" in Clark, et. al. Pp. 267-276

Hymes, Dell. "The Ethnography of Speaking" in Blount.

T Feb 24 Gumperz, John. "Linguistic and Social Interaction in TwoCommunities" in Blount.Goffman, Erving. "On Face-Work" in Blount*Student response.

TH Feb 26 Hughs, John. “Languages and Writing” in Clark et. al.

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Guest Lecturer: Professor Mercedes Niño-Murcia: EthnographyandLiteracy4:15 Lecture (ATTENDENCE IS REQUIRED)

T Mar 2 EXERCISES DUE

Topic 5: Semiotic Approaches to Language and Culture TH Mar 4 Peirce, C. S. "Icon, Index, and Symbol" Pp. 156-173 in Reservereadings.

Mertz, Elizabeth. "Beyond Symbolic Anthropology: IntroducingSemiotic Mediation" pp. 1-19. in Reserve readings.

T Mar 9 Silverstein, Michael. "Shifters, Linguistic Categories and Culture

Description" in Blount.*Student response

TAKE HOME EXAM

Topic 6: Verbal Art and Performance T Mar 9 4:15 workshop on folk music and politics in the U.S. by Charlie

King(ATTENDENCE IS REQUIRED)

TH Mar 11 Bauman, Richard. Part I “Verbal Art As Performance” Pp. 3-45*Student response

SPRING BREAK

T Mar 30 Abrahams, Roger. ”Training of Man of Words in Talking Sweet” in

Bauman.Graham, Laura. “Performing Dreams” in Reserve readings.

TH April 1 Video: Language You Cry InANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE

Topic 7: Language VariationT April 6 Hong Kingston, Maxine. "Finding a Voice" in Clark, et. al. Pp. 13-16

Caldas S. and S. Caron-Caldas. "Rearing Bilingual Children in aMonolingual Culture: A Louisiana Experience" in Clark, et. al. Pp.514-521.

*Student response.

TH April 8 Video: American Tongues/People Like UsMarckwardt, A. and J. Dillard. “Social and Regional Variation” inClark, et. al. Pp. 277-291.

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T April 13 Cukor-Avila, Patricia. “The Complex Grammatical History of African-American and White Vernaculars in the South” in Reservereadings.

Chun, Elaine. “The Construction of White, Black, and Korean American

Identites through African American Vernacular English” inReserve readings.*Student response.

TH April 15 Keenan, E. “Norm-Makers, Norm-Breakers” in Reserve readings Tannen, D. "I'll Explain It to You" in Clark, et. al. Pp. 365-379.*Student response.

Topic 8: Political Economy of Language T April 20 Bourdieu, P. "The Economics of Linguistic Exchanges" in Reserve

readings.

Irvine, Judith. "When Talk Isn't Cheap: Language andPolitical Economy" in Reserve readings

TH April 22 Hill, Jane. "The Grammar of Consciousness and theConsciousness of Grammar" in Blount.*Student response.

Topic 9: Language Endangerment, Loss, and Revitalization T April 27 Dorian, Nancy. “Western Language Ideologies and Small-

Language Prospects” in Grenoble and Whaley.Grenoble, Lenore and Lindsay Whaley. “Toward a Typology of

Language Endangerment” in Grenoble and Whaley. TAKE HOME EXAM

TH April 29 Mithun, Marianne. “The significance of Diversity in LanguageEndangerment and Preservation” in Grenoble and Whaley.

Hale, Ken. “On Endangered Languages and the Importance of Linguistic Diversity” in Grenoble and Whaley.

*Student response.

T May 4 Dauenhauer, Nora and Richard Dauenhauer. “Technical,emotional, and Ideological Issues in Reserving Language Shift” in

Grenoble and Whaley.French, Brigittine. “The Politics of Mayan Linguistics in Guatemala:

Native Speakers, Exert Analysts, and the Nation” in Reservereadings.

*Student response.

TH May 6 Jacobs, Annette. “A Chronology of Mohawk Language Instructionat Kahnawa:ke Kaia’titahkhe” in Grenoble and Whaley.

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Woodbury, Anthony. “Documenting Rhetorical, Aesthetic, andExpressive Loss in Language Shift” in Grenoble and Whaley.

T May 11 FINAL PAPERS DUE IN MY OFFICE BY 12:00 PM.

Documents

Ant 260 French