Fall 2009

LIN 312 • Culture and Communication

Course Description

The goals of this course are to introduce students to the study of language use cross-culturally and to develop student skills in investigating and understanding the role that language plays in culture and influencing behavior and ideas. We will read a variety of ethnographic studies and theoretical work. Each student will collect examples of everyday language for several analytical exercises. These examples will be used as a basis for examining and questioning concepts discussed in lectures and readings, such as ethnicity, identity, power, status, and gender as they emerge in everyday interactions between people.

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