Seminar in Linguistic Anthropology (484-0-1)

Topic

Grammars of Colonialism & Coloniality

Instructors

Diego Arispe-Bazan
847/467-2770
1902 Sheridan Road Evanston, IL 60208

Meeting Info

ANTHRO Lab A56 - 1810 Hinmn: Thurs 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

The concept of "a grammar" has been used in different fields of inquiry as metaphor for multiple sociohistoric phenomena, but what does this metaphor allow, and what does it preclude? And what if grammar in its strict definition—a set of encoding categories and the rules that organize them into language—was itself an empirical site for the study of large scale social phenomena? In this graduate seminar, we will work to answer these questions through various approaches to postcolonial thought, followed by ethnographies of postcolonial settings with a focus on language ideologies, dialectal variation, language loss, among other topics. Specifically, we will look at theories of (post)colonialism, and coloniality and identify their intersects and discrepancies. Key topics include political economy of language(s), semiotics as a tool for understanding colonization/coloniality, and analysis of colonial discourses.

Class Materials (Required)

A. Césaire. (2001)[1950/1952] Discourse on Colonialism
Lowe, L. (2015). The intimacies of four continents. Duke University Press. 978-0-8223-5875-6
Scott, D. (2004). Conscripts of modernity: The tragedy of colonial enlightenment. Duke University Press. 978-0-8223-8618-6
Dijk, T. A. (2005). Racism and discourse in Spain and Latin America. 9786612156656
Wirtz, K. (2014) Performing Afro-Cuba: Image, Voice, Spectacle in the Making of Race and History. 9780226119052
Eisenlohr, P. (2007). Little India: Diaspora, Time, and Ethnolinguistic Belonging in Hindu Mauritius. 9780520248809
\De Sa, C. (2025). Diaspora Without Displacement. 978-1-4780-3197-0

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Anthropology Graduate Students.