SCHEDULE
Ant 344: Language and Culture
[Wednesday 3:00-5:40 PM,
307 Mahar Hall]

(1) Opening remarks: Language and culture as inevitable and embedded in life; assignments for the semester; texts. Handouts: Varon, "Parlez Usted Deutsch?"Video: Human Language Series, 1: "Discovering the Human Language: 'Colorless Green Ideas'."

(2) Introduction: Disciplinary range and importance of language and culture as a topic; use in personal life, academics, business; linguistics versus language study versus anthropological linguistics; the ethnography of communication; culture and language acquisition; prospects for learning what needs to be known. Readings: Salzmann 1, 2; Pinker 1-3; Duranti: Ervin-Tripp (p. 1); Sidnell (p, 34); Kroskrity (p. 106); Ochs (p. 227); Blum (p. 252).Video: Human Language Series, 2: "Acquiring the Human Language: 'Playing the Language Game'."

(3) Language, Thought, and Reality: The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: readings and misreadings; the evolution of color terminology; metaphor and world view; semiotics and the body. Readings: Salzmann 3. Duranti: Pandolfi (p. 11); Goodenough (p. 19); Alvarez-Cáccamo (p. 23); Kay (p. 27); Johnstone (p. 122); Phillips (p. 190); Duranti (p. 216); Darnell (p. 248); Bauch (p. 260). Review Pinker pp. 58-67. Handouts: Adler, "The Melting of a Mighty Myth."

(4) Descriptive Linguistics: How we talk about what we're talking about in this class: Of Alice and allophones: Chasing the White Rabbits of language structure and process; phonemes, morphemes, and so very, very, merry much more! Chomsky. Readings: Salzmann 4, 5; Pinker 4, 5; Duranti: Du Bois (p. 87); Lucy (p. 208).Video: "Language and Communication."

(5) Origins of Language: Theories, Facts, and Just-So Stories: Brains, vocal apparatus, elephant trunks; Neandertals, Chomsky and the chimps; Darwin gets Pinker; language as a "mixed system"; the power of naming; blending; patterned duality. Readings: Salzmann 6, 7; Pinker 10, 11; Duranti: Schumann (p. 15); Gibson (p. 64); Goodwin (p. 264). Handouts: Begley, "The Fossils of Language." Video: Human Language Series, 3: "The Human Language Evolves 'With and Without Words'."

(6) SUMMARY AND REVIEW.

(7) FIRST TEST.

(8) Language and Culture Per Se: Review of anthropological linguistics, culture, language; oral communica-tion, writing, and signing; symbols, metaphors, and the nature of cultural process; social, cultural, and historical contexts of communication (class, race, gender); transcending speaker-hearer models in analysis: the need for sociolinguistics and semiotics. Readings: Duranti: Bauman (p. 79); Mannheim (p. 102); Gumperz (p. 126); Ben-Amos (p. 147); Feld and Fox (p. 154); Goodwin (p. 172). Handouts: extracts from Boon, Firth, etc., on symbols and semiotics; Morrow, "Hoy! Hoy! Mushi-Mushi! Allo"; Elmer-Dewitt, "Orgies On-Line."

(9) Language Variation: Idiolects, dialects, and styles. Readings: Salzman 8; Duranti: Rampton (p. 49); Ivanov (p. 95); Mendoza-Denton (p. 235); Bailey (p. 238); Keane (p. 268).Video: "American Tongues."

(10) The Ethnography of Communication: Ethnoscience, componential analysis; channels, codes, messages; competence and performance; drinking with the Subanun; gender and world-view; speech and gender, etc. Readings: Salzmann 9, 10; Pinker 12; Duranti: Bucholtz (p. 75); Briggs (p. 132); Keating (p. 231). Handouts: Quinn, "Hopefully, They Will Shut Up."

(11) The Sounds of Silence: Non-verbal communication; paralanguage, kinesics, proxemics; Quakers; deaf language; the evolution of writing systems. Readings: Salzmann 11; Pinker 6; Duranti: Grimshaw (p. 45); Padden (p. 52); Haviland (p. 83); Hanks (p. 119); Besnier (p. 136); Scollon (p. 184); Monaghan (p. 223); Perri (p. 272). Handouts: Lyer, "The Eloquent Sounds of Silence."Video: "A World of Gestures."

(12) SECOND TEST.

(13) Oral Folklore and Spoken Art: Shamans, poets, scientists, and actors; anthropological poetics; narrative, discourse, text, symbol; cultural presuppositions; metaphors again. Readings: Salzmann 12; Duranti: Cicourel (p. 67); Sawyer (p. 116); Banti (p. 150); Klein (p. 162); Rumsey (p. 165); Kuipers (p. 168); Hall (p. 180); Hymes (p. 187); Baquedano-Lopez (p. 193); Leavitt (p. 197); Yankah (p. 201); Hoëm (p. 244). Handouts: Morrow, "Metaphors of the World, Unite!"; Trippett, "A Few Symbol-Minded Questions"; Kemp, "Humpback Poets"; Brady, "Poetics."

(14) Language in the Modern World: Language protectionism; disappearance and identity loss; review for third test; overview; discussion. Universal People. Readings: Salzmann 13; Pinker 13; Duranti: Jourdan (p. 41); Moore (p. 60); Hill (p. 241). Handouts: Bosmajian, "Defining the 'American Indian': A Case Study in the Language of Suppression."

(15) FINAL EXAM
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COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Readings: All must be done as assigned in advance of each class.

Written Assignments: A comprehensive book review of Pinker's, The Language Instinct, approximately 8-10 pages in length, typed, double-spaced, with 1" margins, on standard 8 1/2 x 11" paper, including cover sheet with title, author's name, and semester identification (40 points). Do your own work. Due last day of class. No exceptions.

Tests: Two in-class exams and a final, consisting in each case of short answer essays focused on coursework in general (80 points) and a short objective test drawn strictly from the readings (40 points). No makeups.

Attendance: Mandatory. Each class is one week's work. Three absences earn an automatic drop or failing grade, depending on timing and circumstances. If you have to miss a class because of some serious problem and it is possible to inform the instructor in advance, please do so. No flimsy excuses will be accepted for anything, including late assignments. Do the work. Come to class. Thanks!