LING 7800: Language and Globalization
Professor: Kira Hall
Time: Tuesdays, 12:30 - 3:15
Place: Hellems 291
Course description:
This seminar is designed to bring together sociolinguistic and linguistic anthropological work on globalization with recent work on the same subject from the fields of cultural anthropology and cultural studies. Specifically, the readings assigned for the course will examine varied contemporary border-crossing phenomena that have quite serious implications for language use, among them globalization, diaspora, neoliberalism, migration, asylum, tourism, and NGOification. We will read central theoretical anthropological texts regarding each of the areas listed above, followed by linguistic work that seeks to expose these processes in grounded (or at least particularized) contexts. The course will primarily be a readings course, with the additional requirement of occasional response papers and a final paper on a topic that builds on the course readings. There are no formal prerequisites for the course, except a willingness to read deeply and discuss course concepts with insight and enthusiasm. Students with little or no training in the broad study of language and society should consult with the instructor prior to registration about the appropriateness of the seminar.
A full list of course texts, and some readings, will be available via email on December 22nd.
COMM 6030: Qualitative Communication Research Methods
Professor: David Boromisza-Habashi
Time: TBA
Place: TBA
Course description:
This is a graduate-level course in qualitative research methods. The
course is organized around the idea of ‘doing’ qualitative research.
We will explore this idea by cultivating a parallel interest in (1)
how qualitative research is done, and (2) the ways in which the
‘doing’ of research situates the researcher in a particular
socio-cultural scene and why such ‘situatedness’ matters from a
methodological perspective. We will look at qualitative research as a
mode of inquiry that engages the researcher’s entire person in social
interaction with the people whose ways s/he studies.
My goal is to have you walk away from this course with an expanded
qualitative research toolkit. As a result of this course I hope you
will achieve the following:
- a better understanding of the role of qualitative research in the world;
- a sense of familiarity with the ‘classics’ behind present day
qualitative research;
- an understanding of what it means to do a case study;
- greater proficiency in data collection (participant observation,
fieldnote taking, interviewing, transcribing, the collection of
documents and artifacts) and the analysis and interpretation of data;
- greater proficiency in the presentation of your own qualitative research.
COMM 6440: Grounded Practical Theory
Professor: Robert Craig
Time: Wednesday, 3:30-6:00pm
Place: Hellems 77
Course description:
Grounded practical theory (GPT) refers to a range of concepts and methods for describing and theorizing communicative practices. The seminar will explore GPT through assigned background readings and individual research projects. Readings will include units on practical theory and GPT methodology with applications to discourse analysis of social interaction (Craig, Tracy, Aakhus, et al.), various views on the concept of social practice (Schatzki, Bourdieu, Rouse, Turner, et al.), activity theory (Engestrom, et al.), and communities of practice (Wenger). For the semester project, each student will select a sample of discourse (consisting of public documents, media texts, ethnographic field notes, and/or recordings of interaction) from any field of social practice of interest to the student. Writing assignments will include short papers exploring the application of unit readings to the student’s discourse sample and a major paper developing a selected analytical approach in depth.
Bourdieu, P. (1998). Practical reason: On the theory of action. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Engeström, Y., Miettinen, R., & Punamäki, R.-L. (Eds.). (1999). Perspectives on activity theory. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Schatzki, T. R., Knorr Cetina, K., & Von Savigny, E. (Eds.). (2001). The practice turn in contemporary theory. London: Routledge.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
