LING6103 Language Power and Identity

Offered By	School of Language Studies
Academic Career	Graduate Coursework
Course Subject	Linguistics
Offered in	LING6103 will not be offered in 2009
Unit Value	6 units
Course Description	This course will focus on the relationship between discourse, gender, power and identity. It will examine ways in which language can be actively varied by speakers according to social contexts, to express deference, solidarity, and identity. More specifically, the course will analyse ways in which gender is communicated and marked in language. How do people express identity through language? How is powerlessness revealed in talk? Is language inherently sexist? There are a number of different approaches to the analysis of discourse, such as Discourse Analysis, Conversation Analysis, Critical Discourse Analysis, Analysis of Institutional Talk, Interactional Sociolinguistics. A major focus of the course will be to critically examine some of these different approaches to the analysis of discourse, with respect to the issues of gender, power and identity.
Indicative Assessment	Two data assignments, tutorial presentation, and one final 3,000-word essay.
Workload	2-3 hours per week
Course Classification(s)	TransitionalTransitional courses are designed for students from a broad range of backgrounds and learning achievements, which provide for the acquisition of generic skills; or an informed understanding of contemporary issues; or fundamental knowledge for transition to Advanced or Specialist courses.
Areas of Interest	Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Prescribed Texts	Cameron, Deborah 2001. Working with Spoken Discourse. London: Sage Publications. Romaine, Suzanne. 1999. Communicating Gender. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Schiffrin, Deborah. 1994. Approaches to Discourse. Oxford: Blackwell.
Programs	Graduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics, Master of Applied Linguistics, and Master of Linguistics
Academic Contact	Dr Johanna Rendle-Short

The information published on the Study at ANU 2009 website applies to the 2009 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2008 website.