This subject will focus on the way language works in sociocultural context. We will draw on your knowledge of the major fields of linguistics to investigate the ways language and cultural practice are intertwined at the levels of phonetics/phonology, morpho-syntax, semantics/pragmatics, and discourse. The course specifically examines language in its social context, the way in which groups of people use language. Drawing from linguistics, anthropological, and social theories, it also examines how the understanding of language can be informed through a consideration of the social contexts in which language is produced and interpreted. We will draw on several disciplinary traditions over the course of the semester, including sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, and social theory.
