Synopses & Reviews
Ottenheimer's authoritative yet approachable introduction to the field's methodology, skills, techniques, tools, and applications emphasizes the kinds of questions that anthropologists ask about language ? and the kinds of questions that intrigue students. The text brings together the key areas of linguistic anthropology, addressing issues of power, race, gender, and class throughout. Further stressing the everyday relevance of the text material, Ottenheimer includes "In the Field" vignettes that draw you in to the chapter material via stories culled from her own and others' experiences, as well as "Doing Linguistic Anthropology" and "Cross- Language Miscommunication" features that describe real-life applications of text concepts.
Synopsis
This student-centered text emphasizes contemporary issues and the application of linguistic anthropology using real-life chapter-opening vignettes ("In the Field") and boxed features that provide concrete examples of "Doing Linguistic Anthropology" and "Cross-Language Miscommunication." The second edition provides a solid introduction to the field of linguistic anthropology, and offers a complete learning package with a workbook/reader and robust companion website for every chapter in the text.
Synopsis
Ottenheimer's authoritative yet approachable introduction to the field's methodology, skills, techniques, tools, and applications emphasizes the kinds of questions that anthropologists ask about language ? and the kinds of questions that intrigue students. The text brings together the key areas of linguistic anthropology, addressing issues of power, race, gender, and class throughout. Further stressing the everyday relevance of the text material, Ottenheimer includes "In the Field" vignettes that draw you i
Synopsis
The new edition of this highly successful, student-centered text fully engages students by emphasizing contemporary issues and the application of linguistic anthropology. Students easily learn from real-life chapter-opening vignettes ("In the Field"), and the boxed features that provide concrete examples of "Doing Linguistic Anthropology" and "Cross-Language Miscommunication." This edition continues to use a holistic framework to discuss the three key areas of linguistic anthropology -- historical linguistics, structural linguistics, and sociolinguistics -- and provides more emphasis on methodology, skills, techniques, tools, and applications, including new sidebars, more visuals, and more examples from different languages.
About the Author
Harriet Joseph Ottenheimer, professor emeritus of anthropology at Kansas State University, received a B.A. at Bennington College and a Ph.D. at Tulane University. She has taught linguistic anthropology for over 30 years. Her research interests include music, language, and other creative and performative expressions, particularly in African American and African cultures. In addition to extended periods of field research in New Orleans and the Comoro Islands, Dr. Ottenheimer has traveled and lectured widely throughout many other parts of the world. She has special interests in blues, autobiography, transcription, dictionary construction, fieldwork ethics, and ethnicity. Among her publications are COUSIN JOE: BLUES FROM NEW ORLEANS (with Pleasant ?Cousin Joe? Joseph), a blues singer?s autobiography; THE HISTORICAL DICTIONARY OF THE COMORO ISLANDS (with Martin Ottenheimer), an encyclopedia; Music OF THE COMORO ISLANDS: DOMONI (also with Martin Ottenheimer), in vinyl, cassette, and CD formats; and SHINZWANI-ENGLISH/ENGLISH-SHINZWANI DICTIONARY, a bilingual, bidirectional dictionary. She has taught at the University of New Orleans, at Charles University in Prague (on a visiting Fulbright appointment), and at Kansas State University. At KSU she was the founding director of the interdisciplinary American Ethnic Studies Program, teaching introductory and advanced courses in that program, as well as in cultural and linguistic anthropology. Dr. Ottenheimer has received the Kansas State University President?s Award for Distinguished Service to Minority Education, and the Charles Irby Award for Distinguished Service to the National Association for Ethnic Studies. She has served as president of the National Association for Ethnic Studies and the Central States Anthropological Association. She speaks five languages, including English, Spanish, French, Russian, and Shinzwani, and she is attempting to learn to speak and read Czech.
Table of Contents
1. Linguistic Anthropology. 2. Language and Culture. 3. The Sounds of Language. 4. Words and Sentences. 5. Language in Action. 6. Nonverbal Communication. 7. Writing and Literacy. 8. How and When is Language Possible? 9. Change and Choice. 10. Doing Linguistic Anthropology.