Anthropology: Linguistic Anthropology

Introduction to linguistic anthropology, focusing on language and communication as they pertain to human culture and human social interaction.

Open to degree and PACE students

This course offers an introduction to the field of linguistic anthropology, one of the four subfields of anthropology. In this course, students will develop their ability to ‘think like a linguistic anthropologist’ and ask and answer anthropological questions about the complex relationships between language and culture. Through readings, lectures, and discussions about linguistic phenomena from diverse cultures and communities around the world, as well as reflections on our own language practices, we will explore how language is a set of socially and culturally embedded practices rather than a neutral tool for transmitting ‘facts’. Whether in everyday conversation or formal ritual, the ways in which people communicate in real-life contexts both reflect and create the social worlds they inhabit. Alongside this, the course will introduce a variety of anthropological approaches to studying language use, such as multimodal discourse analysis and ethnography of communication. From snapshots of a busy group text or conversations at the dinner table to political speeches and news headlines, students will employ these methods to analyze real-life examples of discourse. By the culmination of this course, students will be able to identify and apply the foundational principles, concepts, questions, and tools that guide anthropological studies of language and communication.

Course meetings will be a combination of lecture, discussion, and in-class activities, making regular attendance an expectation. Students will also be expected to complete readings for most course meetings, as well as additional activities and written reflections outside of class that will prepare students for upcoming in-class discussions and/or further their understanding of the material.

Student grades will be based on a combination of required tasks (e.g. participation/attendance) and elective tasks (e.g. writing assignments, mini-projects, and presentations).