Star Trek and Wisdom Sits in Places
The Star Trek clip “Darmok” available on YouTube complements teaching Basso’s ethnography “Wisdom Sits in Places.”
Renaming Gypsies in Romania
This report aired on Public Radio International in December 2011 discusses the decision to recognize the word “Gypsy” as pejorative and replace it with “Roma”… Read More »Renaming Gypsies in Romania
Truth and narrative
Recent news events highlight relationships between fact and story telling. Ethan Zuckerman’s recent ruminations on activism and journalism provide a summary and synthesis of one… Read More »Truth and narrative
Deixis
“My Mom’s Name is Jean?”: Discussion of deixis- Suriya’s Aircel Ads (first two only): silly lead-in to deixis-
Why do I need subtitles?
“Why do I need subtitles”: Politics of translation- This comic sketch comments on how people judge linguistic comprehensibility based on the appearance of the person speaking.
Markedness and racism
Kumail Nanjiani – “Racists”: Discussion of markedness-
Hello in Indian
Russell Peters sketch “Hello in Indian”: Applies to pragmatics/ translation- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQqzROAZZQ0&feature=BFa&list=PLC41A1610BAFF90CE&lf=mh_lolz [Video no longer available due to copyright]
English Only movement in the United States
Here is a youtube playlist that features clips concerning the English-Only movement here in the United States: Included are some of the more noteworthy commercials,… Read More »English Only movement in the United States
Calls for papers at LINGANTH
With abstracts for the 2012 American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting coming due soon, various SLA members have sent out calls for papers. Here is a… Read More »Calls for papers at LINGANTH
Wikipedia and the Academy
Barbara Johnstone (2011) “Making Pittsburghese” and Timothy Messer-Kruse (2012) “The ‘undue weight’ of truth on Wikipedia” present very different views of scholar’s experiences with Wikipedia.… Read More »Wikipedia and the Academy
Yellow Peril Political Ads: China as a threat to the US
This political ad features an imagined lecture, in Beijing in 2030 in Mandarin (e.g. after the Chinese have trounced the US) complete with evil ha… Read More »Yellow Peril Political Ads: China as a threat to the US
Yellow Peril Political Ads: Jon Hunstman
There was an ad from New Hampshire which featured shots of Jon Huntsman speaking Mandarin, while a commentator asked questions like “the Manchurian candidate. What’s… Read More »Yellow Peril Political Ads: Jon Hunstman
Yellow Peril Political Ads: Peter Hoekstra
Republican Peter Hoekstra, candidate for US Senate, made a campaign video/mock website with an Asian American doing some Mock Asian (“Your economy get very weak,ours get… Read More »Yellow Peril Political Ads: Peter Hoekstra
Reference and Relativity
Sketch from “A Bit of Frye and Laurie” useful for discussing reference and as a lead-in to linguistic relativity,
SLA Call for Application/Registration Waivers
The SLA is calling for applications for registration waivers for participants in next year’s Annual Meetings in San Francisco. The SLA will have one waiver… Read More »SLA Call for Application/Registration Waivers
Gaelic-medium education outcomes in Scotland – Stuart Dunmore
Stuart Dunmore (U Edinburgh) introduces his research on the life trajectories of adults who were educated in Gaelic. He seeks to discover how such former… Read More »Gaelic-medium education outcomes in Scotland – Stuart Dunmore
On socialism, liberalism, and neo-liberalism
“Socialism” and “liberalism” are poorly defined in US politics; the former is over-applied to left-of-center positions, and the latter used in two almost reverse ways.… Read More »On socialism, liberalism, and neo-liberalism
Digital Content Editor self-introduction
Introducing myself, my work, and my ideas for digital content at SLA. I see the Society for Linguistic Anthropology’s digital content as serving essentially two… Read More »Digital Content Editor self-introduction
The Verbal Artistry of Julius Malema
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE The Verbal Artistry of Julius Malema From the Anthro News Blog Language and Culture Column. Guest Columnist Steven P. Black Steven P.… Read More »The Verbal Artistry of Julius Malema
Call for Submissions, AAA 2012
Dear Linguistic Anthropologists, It’s that time of year again: The Society for Linguistic Anthropology (SLA) invites your submissions for the American Anthropological Association’s 2012… Read More »Call for Submissions, AAA 2012