WINTER 2007 MEETING TIME AND LOCATION
Arts 1251, T Th 9:30-10:45 a.m.
GRADER
Kira Griffitt (griff@umail.ucsb.edu)
DESCRIPTION
Sociolinguistics is the study of the relationship between language and the social world. Focusing on U.S. as well as international contexts of language use, this class will examine both classic and emerging questions of sociolinguistics and the theories and methods developed to study them. You will apply course concepts to your own original research on current sociolinguistic issues. Questions we will explore include: How and why do people codeswitch? Why do languages die and what can be done to revitalize them? How do languages influence one another and how do they change over time? What role do social factors like gender, age, class, and ethnicity play in language use? How do speakers change their language use in different contexts? How do people interact across cultural and linguistic boundaries? The class will conclude by reflecting on the uses of sociolinguistics in addressing problems of inequality and injustice around the world.
Prerequisite: Linguistics 20 or 20A. This course fulfills requirements in the major in Linguistics--Sociocultural Emphasis and the Sociocultural Linguistics minor.