ANTH 260 - Current Themes in Anthropological Theory and Method

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

The focus is upon particular cultural sub-systems and their study in cross-cultural perspective. The sub-system selected varies from year to year. Examples include: kinship systems, political organizations, religious beliefs and practices, verbal and nonverbal communication.

May be repeated for credit if the topic has changed.

Topic for 2014/15a: Language, Children, and Culture. This course surveys the ways that children figure into discussions about the relationship between language and culture. After reviewing the central theorists and paradigms that have examined these relationships–such as Lev Vygotsky, Margaret Mead, the language socialization paradigm, and theorists in childhood studies–we consider several topics that show how these proposals can shed light on the relationship between childhood and culture in social interaction: the pragmatics of “motherese,” the body-in-interaction in infancy, language usage in play, language and materiality in games, directives and social hierarchy in childhood discourse, multilingualism and identity in childhood, and children’s appropriation of mass-mediated forms of communication. In the last third of the class, we take up two case studies that focus on the encompassing political and sociocultural contexts of childhood: race, language and prejudice in the educational context, and the usage of digital media to sustain childhood friendships and communities across institutional or national boundaries. Mr. Smith.

Two 75-minute periods.