Theory of Culture 4: Anthropology of Language, Nation and Nationality

The subject offers an anthropological understanding of the mutual influence between language and culture. It approaches language as a cultural phenomenon and as a key cultural code. It further focuses on the topic of nation and nationality, through which cultural and social identity is formed. In the lectures, geographic, political, economic and religious influences on the formation of national consciousness are discussed. Students will get familiar with various theories and concepts of nation and national identity, the question of nation state and the ideology of nationalism.

The aim of the subject is to teach the students think critically about the categories of language and nation, to orientate in basic literature and apply the knowledge on current social issues. Apart the ability to work with scholarly literature, the student will also learn to work in teams while organizing student panel discussions.

Jourdan, Christine; Tuite, Kevin. Language, culture, and society: key topics in linguistic anthropology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Leavitt, John. Linguistic Relativities: Language Diversity and Modern Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
Sapir, Edward. Language: an introduction to the study of speech. London: Rupert Hart-Davis, 1971.