ANTH 251 - LANGUAGE
IN CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Professor: Valentina
Pagliai
Oberlin College
MWF 3:30pm-3420pm
Office: King 320a
Phone: (440) 775-8372
office
(440) 250-9676 home
Office Hours: M-W-F
4:30-5:30pm
E-mail:
valentina.pagliai@oberlin.edu
Course Description: This course looks at
cultural and ethnic differences in communicative style, language use, and
language socialization as these differences exist in the U.S. and abroad. The majority of course readings consist
of short case studies written by linguistic anthropologists and sociolinguists
who figure prominently in current communicative research. Because of this, students will learn
first hand about recent trends in communicative research in such areas as:
code-switching, language socialization, and interactional analysis. At the same time they acquire a
thorough grounding in knowledge of the cultural diversity that exists in the
U.S. Cultural cases studied include
Anglo middle and working class, African Americans, Latin Americans, Native
Americans, Asian Americans and others.
The instructor's own ethnographic and linguistic research experience --
which includes work with the Italian American community in Los Angeles and the
Tuscan Italian culture and language -- is also brought to bear at relevant
points in the course. The case
studies and concepts learned in this course, while fascinating in their own
right, are also directly and pragmatically applied at several points in the
course to important social, economic, and political problem areas in our
society, including cross-cultural communication, and intercultural political
arenas. In
this course you will learn by doing, since you will gather your own data,
analyze them and present to the class on them. You will do this in small groups of 2 to 4 people.
Course Goals:
1) To furnish advanced
groundings in Linguistic Anthropology.
2) To introduce students
to basic transcription methods.
3) To teach students how
to start formulating relevant research questions.
4) To encourage
reflection on the ways we think about language.
5) To furnish an
overview of present themes and currents of interest in linguistic Anthropology.
Required
texts:
1) Cameron, Deborah 2001. Working
with Spoken Discourse. London: Sage.
2) Kulick, Don 1992. Language Shift
and Cultural Reproduction: Socialization, Self, and Syncretism in a Papua New
Guinean Village. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3) Additional Readings: Copies of
the course's additional readings will be available on Blackboard or through
e-res.
Note: All Readings and Assignments are to be done by
the date they are listed on the syllabus.
All videos listed will be shown in class.
PART I: BASIC CONCEPTS, THEORETICAL AND
METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES.
WEEK 1
W 9/7 -- Introduction to the course: Linguistic Anthropology
as a subfield of Anthropology.
Communication processes in sociocultural perspective. Language as action.
F
9/9 -- What does it mean to be a Linguistic Anthropologist: Linguistic Anthropology
and Linguistics. Language &
Communication.
Readings:
·
Finnegan,
Ruth 2001. ³Not the Message: Media, Meanings and Magicality.² In H. Knoblauch
& H. Kotthoff (Eds.) Verbal Art across Cultures: The Aesthetics and
Proto-Aesthetics of Communication. Tubingen: Gunter Narr Verlag. Pp. 33-62.
·
1st
Summary Due on todayıs reading.
________________________________________________
WEEK 2
M 9/12 – Discourse, Context, and Speech
Community:
Readings:
·
Duranti,
Ch. 3, ³Linguistic Diversity,² Pp. 70-83.
·
Cameron,
Introduction & Ch. 1, pp. 1-4 & 7-17.
·
Activity
1 Assigned
W 9/14 – Models of Language: The Relativity
Hypothesis and the influence of language on thought.
Readings:
·
Duranti,
Ch. 3, ³Linguistic Diversity,² Pp. 51-57.
·
Sapir,
Edward 1988 [1929] ³The Status of
Linguistics as a Science.² In P.
Bohannan & M Glazer (Eds.) High
Points in Anthropology. New York:
McGraw-Hill, Inc. (Pp. 140-148). AVAILABLE ON J-STOR
F 9/16 -- Models of Language: Austin, Speech Act
Theory.
Readings:
·
Cameron,
Ch. 4 & Ch. 6, pp.47-52 & 68-86.
·
2nd
Summary Due on: Duranti Ch.3, Cameron Introduction and Ch. 1,4 & 6, Sapir.
________________________________________________
WEEK 3
M 9/19 -- Ethnography of Speaking and the
SPEAKING model:
Readings:
·
Cameron,
Ch. 5, pp. 53-66,
W 9/21 -- Discussion #1: Discussion: We will
discuss the results of Activity 1. We will also discuss how to apply the
SPEAKING model to events you are familiar with.
Readings:
·
Cameron,
Ch. 12, pp. 180-191.
·
Assignment
#1 distributed to class.
F 9/23 – Models of Language: Conversation Analysis.
Readings:
·
Cameron,
Ch. 7, pp. 87-105.
·
3rd
Summary Due on: Cameron Ch. 5, 7 & 12.
________________________________________________
WEEK 4
M 9/26 – Models of Language: Conversation Analysis.
Greetings.
Readings:
·
Sacks,
³Everybody has to Lie² pp. 57-79.
W 9/28 – Discussion #2: Doing your own
research.
Readings:
·
Cameron,
Ch. 2, pp.19-29.
·
Kulick,
Appendix, pp. 268-275.
·
4th
Summary Due on: Sacks, Cameron Ch. 2, Kulick, Appendix.
PART II: IMPORTANT THEMES IN CURRENT RESEARCH:
LANGUAGE AND POWER
F 9/30
-- Understading the impact of Discourse/Language on Society:
Readings:
·
Cameron,
Ch. 9, pp. 123-141.
·
Bauman,
Richard 1986
"Introduction" In Story, Performance and Event: Contextual
Studies of Oral Narrative. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press. (Pp.
1-6).
·
Rediehs,
Laura 2002 ³Evil.² In J. Collins & R. Glover (Eds.) Collateral Language:
A Userıs Guide to Americaıs New War.
New York: New York University Press. Pp. 64-78.
_______________________________________________
WEEK 5
M 10/3 – Conceptual metaphors and their
influence on our world view:
Readings:
·
Lakoff,
George and Mark Johnson, 1980. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press. Pp. 3-13.
·
Lakoff,
George 1991 "Metaphor and
War: The Metaphor System Used to Justify War in the Gulf." In Viet Nam Generation Journal &
Newsletter. Online Paper:
http://lists.village.virginia.edu/sixties/HTML_docs/Texts/Scholarly/Lakoff_Gulf_Metaphor_1.html
http://lists.village.virginia.edu/sixties/HTML_docs/Texts/Scholarly/Lakoff_Gulf_Metaphor_2.html
·
Activity
2 Assigned
W 10/5 -- Discussion #2: The power of
conceptual metaphors – The results of Activity 2 will be discussed
in class.
·
Assignment
#1 Due at the beginning of class.
·
Assignment
#2 distributed.
·
5th
Summary Due on: Cameron Ch. 9, Bauman, Rediehs, Lakoff & Johnson, Lakoff.
F 10/7 -- Metalinguistic Systems, Linguistic
Ideologies and how they Influence our Behavior.
Readings:
·
Woolard,
Kathryn A. 1992 "Language Ideologies: Issues and Approaches." In Pragmatics, Vol. 2, No. 3:
235-245.
________________________________________________
WEEK 6
M 10/10 – Verbal duels as form of
political expression:
Readings:
·
Irvine,
Judith 1993. ³Insult and
Responsibility: Verbal Abuse in a Wolof Village.² In J. Hill & J. Irvine (Eds.) Responsibility and Evidence in Oral Discourse. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. (Pp. 105-134).
W 10/12 – Language Ideologies,
Nationalism and the Colonial encounter.
Readings:
·
Irvine,
J. T. and S. Gal 2000. ³Language
Ideology and Linguistic Differentiation.²
In P. V. Kroskrity (ed.), Regimes of Language: Ideologies, Polities
and Identities. Santa Fe: School of American Research
Press. (Pp. 35-79).
·
6th
Summary Due on: Woolard, Irvine, Irvine & Gal.
F 10/14 -- Language Ideologies
and indigenous linguistic rights in a globalized world.
Readings:
·
Reynolds,
Jennifer ³Shaming The Shift Generation:
Intersecting Ideologies Of Family And Linguistic Revitalization In
Guatemala²
________________________________________________
WEEK 7
M 10/17 –
Literacy and Colonialism.
Readings:
·
Kulick,
Introduction, pp. 1-7 only; Ch. 1, pp. 27-60; Ch. 5, pp. 157-189.
·
7th
Summary Due on: Reynolds, Kulick Introduction, Ch. 1 & 5.
PART III: TRANSCRIPTION METHODS
W 10/19 – Transcription
methods.
Readings:
·
Cameron,
Ch. 3, pp. 31-43.
·
((Optional:
Duranti, Ch. 5, pp.122-161.))
F 10/21 – Discussion #3: How to
transcribe your specific case.
Readings:
·
Cameron,
Ch. 10, pp. 145-159.
·
Assignment
#2 Due at the beginning of class.
·
Assignment
#3 distributed.
________________________________________________
WEEK 8
SPRING
BREAK
________________________________________________
WEEK 9
M 10/31 – Participation frameworks and
structures.
Readings:
·
Duranti,
Ch. 9 ³Units of Participation,² pp. 280-330.
·
8th
Summary Due on: Cameron ch. 3 & 10, Duranti ch.9.
W 11/2 -- Participation frameworks and
structures. Discussion #4 of ongoing transcription.
PART IV: IMPORTANT THEMES IN CURRENT RESEARCH:
LANGUAGE AND IDENTITY
F 11/4 -- Language and Ethnic Identity.
Readings:
· Kroskrity, Paul 1993. ³An Evolving Ethnicity." (Pp.
177-193 and 206-212).
·
Kulick,
Introduction, pp. 8-14 only.
________________________________________________
WEEK 10
M 11/7 – Code-switching.
Readings:
·
Kroskrity,
Paul 1993. ³An Evolving Ethnicity.² In Language, History and Identity:
Ethnolinguistic Studies of the Arizona Tewa.
Tucson: University of Arizona Press. (Pp. 193-206).
·
Heller,
Monica 1982. ³Negotiations of Language Choice in Montreal.² In J. Gumperz (ed.)
Language and Social Identity.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Pp. 108-118).
W 11/9
-- Discussion #5: Bilingualism and Identity.
Readings:
· Zentella, A. C. 1990.
³Returned Migration, Language and Identity: Puerto Rican Bilinguals in
Dos Worlds/Two Mundos.² International
Journal of the Sociology of Language,
Special Issue, 84. (Pp. 84-100).
·
9th
Summary Due on:Kroskrity pp. 177-212, Kulick Intro, Heller, Zentella.
F 11/11 – Language and Identity in
Verbal Art: Performance,
Memory, Names and Places.
·
Film:
³Summer of the Loucheux.²
Readings:
·
Basso,
Keith H. 1990. ³Stalking with
Stories:ı Names, Places and Moral Narratives Among the Western
Apache." In: Western
Apache Language and Culture: Essays in Linguistic Anthropology. Tucson, University of Arizona
Press. (Pp. 99-137).
·
Assignment
#3 Due at beginning of class.
·
Assignment
#4 distributed.
________________________________________________
WEEK 11
M 11/14 -- Language
and Verbal Art: Discussion #6: Performance, Memory, Names and Places.
·
10th
Summary Due on: Basso.
PART V: IMPORTANT THEMES IN CURRENT RESEARCH:
LANGUAGE AND GENDER
W
11/16 – Language, and Gender:
Readings:
·
Cameron,
Ch. 11, pp. 161-170 only.
·
Tannen,
Deborah 1994. ³Interpreting
Interruption in Conversation."
In Gender and Discourse.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
(Pp. 53-83).
·
Uchida,
Aki ³When Difference is Dominance² pp. 280-292.
F 11/18 – Discussion #7: Gender and
Power. Studentsı presentations begin.
Readings:
·
Kulick,
Ch. 2, pp. 61-91.
·
11th
Summary Due on:Cameron ch. 11, Tannen, Uchida, Kulick ch. 2.
_______________________________________________
WEEK 12
M 11/21 – Language and Gender:
Readings:
·
Kulick,
Ch. 3 & 4, pp. 92-149.
W 11/23 – Language and Gender: Sexual
Identities. Feminities.
Readings:
·
Valentina
Pagliai & Brooke Bocast ³Singing Gender: Contested Discourses Of Womanhood
In Tuscan-Italian Verbal Art.² (about 20 pages)
·
Guidelines
for the Final Paper distributed.
F 11/25 -- THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
________________________________________________
WEEK 13
M
11/28 --
Discussion #8: Language and Gender: Masculinities
Readings:
·
Cameron,
Ch. 11, pp. 170-178.
·
Kiesling,
Scott 2001. ³ Now I Gotta Watch What I Say:ı Shifting Constructions of
Masculinity in Discourse.² Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 11(2): 250-273.
·
12th
Summary Due on: Kulick ch. 3 & 4, Pagliai & Bocast, Cameron ch. 11,
Kiesling.
·
Assignment
#4 Due at beginning of class.
PART VI: IMPORTANT THEMES IN CURRENT RESEARCH:
LANGUAGE SOCIALIZATION
W 11/30 – Language and Socialization: Innatist vs. Learning
Theory, baby talk, and models of socialization.
Readings:
·
Ochs,
Elinor & B. B. Schieffelin 1984.
³Language Acquisition and Socialization: Three Developmental Stories.²
in R. Shweder & R. LeVine (Eds.)
Culture Theory. (Pp.
276-312).
·
De
Leon, Lourdes 1998 "The
Emergent Participant: Interactive Patterns in the Socialization of Tzotzil
(Mayan) Infants." In Journal
of Linguistic Anthropology 8, No. 2: 131-161.
F
12/02 -- Language & Socialization:
·
Film:
"Baka."
________________________________________________
WEEK 14
M 12/5 -- Students' Presentations.
W 12/7 – Socialization and society.
Readings:
·
Goodwin,
M. H. 1990 "He-Said-She-Said:
Talk and Social Organization among Black Children" Bloomington and
Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
Ch. 8, pp. 190-225.
·
13th
Summary Due on: Ochs & Schieffelin, De Leon, Goodwin.
F 12/9 – Presentation of Students'
Projects.
________________________________________________
WEEK 15
M 12/12 – Discussion #9: Socialization
and culture change
Readings:
·
Kulick,
Ch. 6, 7 & Conclusions, pp. 190-267.
·
14th
Summary Due on: Kulick ch. 6, 7 & Conclusions.
W 12/14 -- Studentsı presentations and Final
Summary of the course.
________________________________________________
FINALSı WEEK
Final Paper Due thursday 12/22 by 2pm.
Course
Policies:
Code of honor
The
Oberlin College Studentsı Code of Honor applies to the course. It applies to each assignment,
including the summaries. At the end of each
assignment, summary or paper the students shall write in full and sign the
Honor Pledge; please familiarize yourself with it: http://www.oberlin.edu/students/student_pages/honor_code.html. If a student does not follow the
appropriate procedure, I have the option of withholding the grade until the
student writes the Honor Pledge correctly.
Readings should be completed by the day they are listed on the
syllabus; this will help you follow lectures and prepare for lectures and
section.
Summaries are due at the
beginning of the class session.
They must be typed, about 500 words long. Summaries and other
assignments must be turned in on time at the beginning of class. They will be graded down 1 point for
each day that they are late. Each summary is graded on a scale of 1 to 10.
Summary of Studentsı Project:
Assignment #1: form group, select the
speech community or group of people and visit it, write a brief report.
Assignment #2: Obtain permission to
video-audio tape. Observe and record interaction, take fieldnotes and turn them
in.
Assignment #3: transcribe a segment of
the interaction. Turn in transcripts.
Assignment #4: Write a brief analysis
of the interaction.
Presentation to the Class: of the project so far.
Final Paper: write a paper up to 5
pages, including the analysis of your study, turned in the day of the final
exam.
Assignments are due at the
beginning of the class session. Assignments will be graded down 1 point for
each day that they are late. All assignments should be typed. I will NOT
accept assignments submitted by e-mail. More information about the Assignments will be distributed
later on, during the course.
Participation
to class Discussions is fundamental. Everybody is expected to
participate actively to class discussion every time the class meets and as time
allows. ³Active participation,² means speaking during discussions (at least
most of the time), having questions prepared for potential discussion for every
class, and getting to know your fellow classmates by name, major, etc. Merely
attending class does not constitute active in class participation.
Presence
in class
is
expected. Students present at the roll will receive 1 point. Students who are late may not be
recorded.
Grades:
Assignment 1 5
%
Assignment 2 5
%
Assignment 3 10
%
Assignment 4 10
%
Presentation of Project 10
%
Final Paper 15
%
Participation
(discussions and presence in class) 20
%
Summaries 25
%
_________
100
%
A+
= 96% of grade; A = 93%; A- = 90%, B+ = 86%; B = 82%; B- = 78%; C+ = 74%; C =
70%; C- = 60%; NE = Less than 60%; D = 55%; F = Less than 55%.
Final
Note:
Although the syllabus will be followed as much as possible, it is intended as a
guideline and circumstances may require a change to the schedule. Students are responsible for any
changes announced in class.