Lengua y Cultura

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Bahasa dan Budaya
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Språk och Kultur
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ANT 208  Language Culture Fall 2013
TR  11001215 SB 106 Dr. Bill Alexander,
Associate Professor Office hours Tues. Thurs.
330430, Wed. 1000-1200 or by
appointment Office 100 F (inside archaeology lab)
Social Behavioral Sciences Building Phone
962-2227 Email alexanderw_at_uncw.edu
http//people.uncw.edu/alexanderw/ Language,
the system of arbitrary symbols we use to encode
our experience of the world and to relate to one
another, is one of the most remarkable features
of human culture. This course will survey key
concepts, topics, debates, and controversies in
the field of linguistic anthropology. In
studying language as a form of symbolic
communication and a primary carrier of important
cultural information, linguistic anthropologists
focus on the following dimensions of language use
in culture and society Sociolinguistics Bili
ngualism, Multilingualism
Gender Ideology, Power Politics Ethnicity
Intercultural
Communication Social Identity
Endangered Languages Region Social Class
Language
Revitalization Linguistic Variation
Environmental Knowledge Language
Acquisition Cognitive Structures
Childhood Development the
Human Mind Communicative Competence
Language Studies of Non-Human
Primates Required Texts Susan D. Blum, editor
Making Sense of Language Readings in Culture
and Communication, 2nd ed. Oxford UK
Oxford University Press (2013) K. David
Harrison When Languages Die The Extinction
of the Worlds Languages and the Erosion of
Human Knowledge Oxford UK Oxford University
Press (2007) PDFs of eleven articles are also
posted on Blackboard

Mál og Menning
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Kieli ja Kulttuuri
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Lugha na Utamaduni
Lengua y Cultura

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Grading and Requirements Exam 1, 9/17
25 Discussion of When
Languages Die 10 Exam 2, 10/24 30
Class exercise on The Linguists video, 11/21
5 Exam 3, 12/10 30 The three exams will be
taken in class and will consist of a variety of
objective questions (T/F, multiple choice,
fill-in-the blank, short answer, etc.) Exams will
not be comprehensive. They will cover material
since the previous exam. During the 11/12,
11/14/, 11/19 class meetings, student groups
will lead our discussion of the book When
Languages Die. You will be given instructions on
forming your groups and preparing your
presentations. On 11/21 the accompanying video
The Linguists will be shown in class and you
will complete a brief exercise related to it.
You are required to be an active participant in
this course. Attending class and taking part in
discussion is expected and is figured into your
final grade. Arrive on time and dont leave
early. Use of phones is not allowed during class.
Turn them off and put them away before you enter.
Web surfing, texting, messaging, etc. during
class is prohibited. Its very important to
complete each meetings assigned reading so that
we can discuss it during class. Lectures will
clarify the texts, but you will have difficulty
if you havent kept up with the reading. Taking
good notes is also necessary as I will often
present material not in the books. I encourage
you to visit me during office hours whenever you
feel the need. If you cant come during office
hours, we can set an appointment. Academic
dishonesty, cheating, and plagiarism of any kind
will not be tolerated and will result in a
failing grade (or worse) Please familiarize
yourself with the universitys academic honor
code http//www.uncw.edu/fac_handbook/responsibil
ities/teaching/honor_code_print.htm and the
University Learning Centers definition of and
tips to avoid plagiarism http//www.uncw.edu/stua
ff/uls/Writing-plagiarism.htm Student Learning
Outcomes Upon completion of this course, you
will Identify trends of globalization that
have led to the rapid disappearance of much of
the worlds linguistic diversity Understand the
methods and motivations of those working to
preserve endangered local languages Recognize
what is lost when such languages disappear local
knowledge embedded in language that has
importance for all of humankind (for example,
environmental knowledge, inventories of the
worlds biodiversity, and unique cognitive
systems that expand our understanding of the
human mind) Demonstrate knowledge of the ways
in which intercultural communication presents
potential misunderstandings, conflicts, and
problems between members of different speech
communities Recognize how an understanding of
these differences in linguistic-based cultural
frames of reference and styles of communicative
competence can overcome such challenges and make
intercultural communication an opportunity for
conflict-resolution both within multi-lingual
societies and across national borders Identify
and analyze the ways in which gender norms,
roles, and expectations are expressed,
reproduced, and resisted through language use and
language ideology
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Recognize and think critically about how ethnic
identification is expressed through language and
positioned in support of or in opposition to
dominant ideology or public policies regarding
the use of language Understand the social and
political origins, functions, and consequences of
linguistic diversity at the regional level within
nation-states Appreciate how a relativistic view
of this global diversity in gender, ethnicity,
and region promotes acceptance and tolerance of
language-based cultural differences.
Course Schedule Thur. 8/22 Introduction to the
Class COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE LANGUAGE AS
SOCIAL ACTION Tues. 8/27 Blackboard Cheryl
Wharry Amen and Hallelujah Preaching Discourse
Function in African American Sermons Language
in Society (2003) 32203-225 Yanrong Chang
Courtroom Questioning as a Culturally Situated
Persuasive Genre of Talk Discourse and Society
(2004) 15(6) 705-722 Thur. 8/29 Blum Guy Cook
and Tony Walter Rewritten Rites Language and
Social Relations in Traditional and Contemporary
Funerals pp. 502-517 Katharine Young
Narrative Embodiments Enclaves of the Self in
the Realm of Medicine pp. 518-525 LANGUAGE
IDEOLOGY INSTITUTIONAL ENCOUNTERS Tues.
9/3 Blum Benjamin Bailey Communication of
Respect in Interethnic Service Encounters pp.
527-543 Chaise LaDousa On Mother and Other
Tongues Sociolinguistics, Schools, and
Language Ideology in Northern India pp. 544-558
Thur. 9/5 Blackboard Don Kulick Anger,
Gender, Language Shift, and the Politics of
Revelation in a Papua New Guinean Village
(425-434) Tues. 9/10 Blackboard Rosina
Lippi-Green Accent, Standard Language Ideology,
and Discriminatory Pretext in the Courts
Language in Society (1994) 23 163-198 Laura
Polich Orality Another Language Ideology
(451-457) Thur. 9/12 Blum Keith H. Basso To
Give Up on Words Silence in Western Apache
Culture pp. 559-567 Blackboard Richard
Bauman Let Your Words Be Few Speaking and
Silence in Quaker Ideology (458-465) Tues.
9/17 EXAM 1

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REGION SOCIAL CLASS Thurs. 9/19 Blum
William A. Kretschmar Jr. Regional Dialects pp.
357-371 Tues. 9/24 Blum William Labov Social
Stratification of (r) in New York City Department
Stores pp. 333-346 Thurs. 9/26
Blackboard Dennis R. Preston They Speak
Really Bad English Down South and in New York
City (227-233) Blum Deborah Tannen New York
Jewish Conversational Styles pp. 347-356
RACE ETHNICITY Tues. 10/1 Blum John R.
Rickford Suite for Ebony and Phonics pp.
372-377 Thur. 10/3 Blackboard Mary Bucholtz
The Whiteness of Nerds Substandard English and
Racial Markedness Journal of Linguistic
Anthropology (2001) 11(1)84-100 Blum H. Samy
Alim Hip Hop Nation Language pp.
378-390 Tues. 10/8 Blackboard Rusty Barrett
Language Ideology and Racial Inequality
Competing Functions of Spanish in an Anglo-Owned
Mexican Restaurant Language in Society (2006)
35163-204 Blum Richard Rodriguez Aria pp.
391-400 Thurs. 10/10 FALL BREAK GENDER Tues.
10/15 Blum William M. OBarr and Bowman K.
Atkins Womens Language or Powerless
Language? pp. 305-311 Scott Fabius Kiesling
Power and the Language of Men pp. 317-327
Thur. 10/17 Blum Kira Hall Unnatural
Gender in Hindi pp. 418-433 William Leap
Language, Socialization, and Silence in Gay
Adolescence pp. 434-442 Tues. 10/22 Blum
Alexandra DArcy Like and Language Ideology
Disentangling Fact from Fiction pp. 443-458
Scott Kiesling Dude pp. 459-472 Thur.
10/24 EXAM 2 THE MIND LANGUAGE, CULTURAL
MEANING, ETHNOSCIENCE Tues. 10/29 Blum
Ferdinand de Saussure Nature of the Linguistic
Sign pp. 16-19 Benjamin Lee Whorf The
Relation of Habitual Thought and Behavior to
Language pp. 43-54 Thurs. 10/31 Blackboard
Dorothy Lee Codifications of Reality Lineal
and Nonlineal (84-91) Blum George Lakoff and
Mark Johnson Metaphors We Live By pp.
55-57 Tues. 11/5 Blackboard Steven Pinker
How Language Works (25-35) Thur. 11/7 Blum
Stephen C. Levinson Language and Mind Lets Get
the Issues Straight pp. 58-68 Harrison When
Languages Die Chapter 1 A World of Many (Fewer)
Voices pp. 3 - 21
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LANGUAGE ENDANGERMENT AND REVITALIZATION Tues.
11/12 Harrison Chapter 2 An Extinction of
(Ideas about) Species Case Study Vanishing
Herds and Reindeer Words Chapter 3 Many Moons
Ago Traditional Calendars and Time-Reckoning
Case Study Nomads of Western Mongolia Thur.
11/14 Harrison Chapter 4 An Atlas of the
Mind Case Study Wheel of Fortune and a
Blessing Chapter 5 Silent Storytellers, Lost
Legends Case Study New Rice versus Old
Knowledge Tues. 11/19 Harrison Chapter 6
Endangered Number Systems Counting to Twenty on
Your Toes Case Study The Leaf-Cup People,
Indias Modern Primitives Chapter 7 Worlds
Within Worlds Thur. 11/21 in-class exercise
and viewing of The Linguists (video about the
work of Harrison his research partner) Dr.
Alexander will be at the American
Anthropological Association (AAA) annual meeting
in Chicago LANGUAGE SOCIALIZATION, EDUCATION,
MULTILINGUALISM Tues 11/26 Blum Elinor Ochs and
Bambi B. Schieffelin Language Acquisition and
Socialization Three Developmental Stories and
Their Implications pp. 71- 95 Shirley Brice
Heath What No Bedtime Story Means Narrative
Skills at Home and at School pp. 96-114 Thurs
11/28 THANKSGIVING Tues. 12/3 Blum Edwin L.
Battistella Bad LanguageBad Citizens pp.
217-228 Y. Immaculada M. García-Sánchez
Serious Games Code-Switching and Gendered
Identities in Moroccan Immigrant Girls Pretend
Play pp. 260-279 EXAM 3 Tuesday
December 10th 1130