Applications in Linguistic Anthropology
Anthropology 361, Spring 2016 Holton 180, Tuesdays 5:30-8:10
Bernard Perley, Associate Professor
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Office: Sabin 329
Office Phone: 229-4175
Email:
Course description and objectives
This linguistic anthropology course builds upon the basic skills and knowledge of linguistic anthropology obtained through the successful completion of Anthro 105: Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology. You will be using many of the analytical concepts, theories, and tools you acquired from Anthro 105 and apply them to cross-linguistic examples from around the world to illustrate a), how comparative analysis is one of the distinguishing features of the anthropology discipline; b), how ethnographic study contextualizes speech practices through in-depth and long-term participant-observation; and c), that language will not be the object of study, rather, you will explore how actors/agents use language as a cultural resource to enable speech as social action.
This class will reinforce and further develop the Anthro 105 objectives of
- Knowledge of human communicative practices
- Critical and creative thinking skills
- Effective communication skills
by reading key theoretical texts and analyzing practical contemporary ethnographic applications to enable you to understand the relationship between linguistic anthropology theory and method.
This class, like Anthro 105, satisfies Social Science (SS) GER because it teaches you how to a) recognize and analyze human linguistic/communicative practices as key aspects of individual behavior, collective action, and societal development and b) identify and apply linguistic anthropological methods for studying human communicative behavior, collective action, societies, and cultures.
Course prerequisites: Junior Standing, Anthropology 105: Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology, and/or consent of the instructor.
Course requirements
You are advised to attend all classes, do all course readings, and be prepared to utilize the knowledge obtained from course reading assignments in in-class exercises. In-class exercises will include group exercises, quizzes on the required reading, and out of classroom field notes.
You willalso complete a semester-long ethnographic project. The components will include a project proposal, a project outline, a draft of the final project and the final project. The ethnographic project is designed to develop participant/observer skills in a variety of language environments. The projectwill explore one of the thematic sections in the course to give you experience in recognizing and analyzing speech practices in a variety of speech genres. The final ethnographic project will consist of a ten-page description and analysis of a speech event with relevant references from class readings as well as outside research.
Note: During the course of the semester circumstances may arise that necessitate an adjustment to the syllabus. I will consult with the class and obtain consensus for any adjustments and notify the entire class list of such agreed upon changes both in class and by email.
Students may find on occasion a reason to miss class. It is the responsibility of the student to contact me regarding any missed assignments and/or information. If you are ill please stay home and take care of yourself. All I ask is that you notify me by email about your absence due to illness. I do not need to know the nature of the illness. If there are family or life matters that require your attention and/or cause you to miss class notify me by email about your absence due to “family” or “life” matters. I do not need to know the particulars.
Ethnographic project requirements- One of the aspects of this course that will be assessed for SS GER is your completion of the final ethnographic project that requires you integrate contemporary linguistic anthropology theory with a variety of linguistic/communicative evidence/data to make arguments about human communication and social action.
The rubric used to assess this aspect of the course involves 40 point scoring as follows:
8 points = the student formats, completes, and hands in the assignment on time according to guidelines
8 points = the student identifies and accurately uses relevant linguistic anthropological data in his/her analysis
8 points = the student uses anthro-linguistic theory to frame his/her argument
8 points = the student uses relevant data to explain how the selected data support his/her argument of human communication and social action.
8 points = the student provides accurate citations and evaluations of sources.
Graduate student requirements: You will be required to fulfill the same requirements as the undergraduate students. You will also be expected to complete an additional ethnographic analysis of communicative practice within your own area of research and present your analysis to the class.
Grading scale:
A93-100B+87-89C+77-79D+67-69
A-90-92B83-86C73-76D63-66
B-80-82C-70-72D-60-62
Grading:
Undergraduate Students / Graduate StudentsResponses to readings / 20% / 10%
Ethnographic proposal / 10% / 15%
Ethnography outline / 10% / 15%
Ethnography draft / 20% / 15%
Final Ethnography / 40% / 15%
Graduate project / NA / 20%
Graduate presentation / NA / 10%
Workload statement: UWM’s credit hour policy states: “Study leading to one semester credit represents an investment of time by the average student not fewer than 48 hours for class contact in lectures, for laboratories, examinations, tutorials and recitations, and for preparation and study; or a demonstration of learning equivalent to that established as the expected product of such a period of study.” Anthro 361: Applications in Linguistic Anthropology is a three-credit class therefore, you should expect to invest 144 hours over the course of the semester distributed as follows- in class (160 min. x 14 weeks =) 37 hrs. 20 mins., reading/viewing required texts (2x class time=) 74 hrs. 40 mins, quizzes/exercises (10 min x 12 =) 2 hrs., and four ethnographies (7.5 hrs. x 4 =) 22 hrs., totaling 144 hrs.. Please note that the workload is an estimate and that students are assessed on their performance on assignments, not on the time they put into the course.
Required Texts: (available at UWM Bookstore):
A Companion to Linguistic Anthropology. 2006 edition. Alessandro Duranti, ed. Blackwell Publishers. Malden, MA.
Linguistic Anthropology: A Reader. 2nd edition, 2009. Alessandro Duranti, ed.
Blackwell Publishers, Malden MA .
University Policies
Please notify the professor regarding requests for academic accommodation at the beginning of the semester (see below).
Please notify the professor regarding religious observances and military service commitments prior to said observances and commitments are to take place (see below).
Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism-I expect all class work to be original. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Any assignment identified and confirmed as plagiarized will be subject to formal disciplinary action as per University policies that can result in penalties from zero credit for the assignment to expulsion from the university (depending on the seriousness of the offense [see below]).
Assignments turned in late will receive a half letter grade penalty for each day the assignment is late. An assignment is considered a day late if it is turned in after the designated due date/time.
Do not use Wikipedia as a reference for your assignments. Assignments using Wikipedia as a reference will receive zero for a grade.
For a complete statement of University policies on disabilities, incompletes, and other relevant issues, visit the following links-
Syllabus Links
1. Students with disabilities. Notice to these students should appear prominently in the
syllabus so that special accommodations are provided in a timely manner.
2. Religious observances. Accommodations for absences due to religious observance should
be noted.
3. Students called to active military duty. Accommodations for absences due to call-up of
reserves to active military duty should be noted.
Students:
Employees:
(Editorially Revised, 3/25/09)
4. Incompletes. A notation of "incomplete" may be given in lieu of a final grade to a student
who has carried a subject successfully until the end of a semester but who, because of
illness or other unusual and substantiated cause beyond the student's control, has been
unable to take or complete the final examination or to complete some limited amount of
term work.
5. Discriminatory conduct (such as sexual harassment). Discriminatory conduct will not be
tolerated by the University. It poisons the work and learning environment of the University
and threatens the careers, educational experience, and well-being of students, faculty, and
staff.
6. Academic misconduct. Cheating on exams or plagiarism are violations of the academic
honor code and carry severe sanctions, including failing a course or even suspension or
dismissal from the University.
7. Complaint procedures. Students may direct complaints to the head of the academic unit or
department in which the complaint occurs. If the complaint allegedly violates a specific
university policy, it may be directed to the head of the department or academic unit in
which the complaint occurred or to the appropriate university office responsible for
enforcing the policy.
8. Grade appeal procedures. A student may appeal a grade on the grounds that it is based on
a capricious or arbitrary decision of the course instructor. Such an appeal shall follow the
established procedures adopted by the department, college, or school in which the course
resides or in the case of graduate students, the Graduate School. These procedures are
available in writing from the respective department chairperson or the Academic Dean of
the College/School.
9. Other The final exam requirement, the final exam date requirement, etc.
(Editorially Revised, 8/26/11)
(Editorially Revised, 8/21/15)
Weekly schedule of readings and course activities
Part One- The Basics
Week One- Jan. 27.
Introduction: Skill Sets and Applications
Part Two- speech communities, contact and variation
Week Two- Feb. 3.
Theoretical Reading- Speech Communities, Marcyliena Morgan
Application Reading- The Social Circulation of Media Discourse and the Mediation of Communities, Debra Spitulnik
Week Three- Feb. 10.
Theoretical Reading- Codeswitching, Kathryn Woolard
Application Reading- Arizona Tewa Kiva Speech as a Manifestation of a Dominant Language Ideology, Paul V. Kroskrity
Week Four- Feb. 17.
Theoretical Reading- Registers of Language, Asif Agha
Application Reading- Formality and Informality in Communicative Events, Judith T. Irvine
Project proposal assigned.
Part Three- the performing of language
Week Five- Feb. 24.
Theoretical Reading- Literacy Practices Across Learning Contexts, Patricia Baquedano-López
Application Reading- What No Bedtime Story Means: Narrative Skills at Home and School, Shirley Brice Heath
Week Six- March 3.
Theoretical Reading- Conversation as Cultural Activity, Elizabeth Keating and Maria Egbert
Application Reading- The “Father Knows Best” Dynamic in Dinnertime Narratives, Elinor Ochs and Carolyn Taylor
Week Seven- March 10.
Theoretical Reading- Narrative Lessons, Elinor Ochs
Application Reading- Narrating the Political Self in a Campaign for US Congress, Alessandro Duranti
Project proposal due.
Project outline assigned.
Week Eight- Spring Break, March 14-18.
Part Four- achieving subjectivities and intersubjectivities through language
Week Nine- March 24.
Theoretical Reading- Language Socialization, Don Kulick and Bambi B. Schieffelin
Application Reading- Participant Structures and Communicative Competence: Warm Springs Children in Community and Classroom, Susan U. Philips
Week Ten- March 31.
Theoretical Reading- Language and Identity, Mary Bucholtz and Kira Hall
Application Reading- Creating Social Identities in Doctrina Narratives, Patricia Baquedano-López
Project outline due.
Project draft assigned.
Week Eleven- April 7.
Theoretical Reading- Vocal Anthropology: From the Music of Language to the Language of Song, Steven Feld, Aaron A. Fox, Thomas Porcello, David Samuels
Application Reading- Hip Hop Nation Language, H. Samy Alim
Part Five- the power in language
Week Twelve- April 14.
Theoretical Reading- Agency in Language, Alessandro Duranti
Application Reading- Professional Vision, Charles Goodwin
Week Thirteen- April 21.
Theoretical Reading- Language and Social Inequality, Susan U. Phillips
Application Reading- Communication of Respect in Interethnic Service Encounters, Benjamin Bailey
Project draft due.
Final project assigned.
Week Fourteen- April 28.
Theoretical Reading- Language Ideologies, Paul Kroskrity
Application Reading- Contingencies of Emergence: Planning Maliseet Language Ideologies, Bernard C. Perley
Part Six-Conclusions
Week Fifteen- May 5.
Reading- Remembering Ancestral Voices, Bernard Perley
Discussion- Possible Directions for Future Work
Graduate Student presentations
Week Sixteen- May 12.
Final project due. Graduate student projects due.
1