Division of Applied Undergraduate Studies
Language & Society
A sociological and anthropological study of the significance of language and symbols as specific human characteristics, exploring the relationships between linguistic structure and patterns of culture, theories of language acquisition, and current questions surrounding dialect, bilingualism, and literacy. Popular formulations are examined in terms of the scholarly debates over the influences of race, ethnicity, nationality, and gender of language and communication. Students are introduced to the methods of sociolinguistic study.