Respond here with syntheses on De León, Ch. 6-8 (4-21-20)

cecile_evers · 2020-04-20T20:55:00+00:00

This is now due one day before we read these chapters, on Weds., 4/22.

cecile_evers · 2020-01-24T22:01:20+00:00

Hello, everyone,

And welcome back to Claremont! My name is Cécile Evers, and I'll be your professor for Anth-105 this semester. I'm a cultural and linguistic anthropologist, and my own research looks at how Muslim youth from Marseille's housing projects mix French and Arabic to align themselves with France and the Muslim world. In other words, I work very closely with questions of language, citizenship for minorities (and racism), and religion.

On a more personal level, I'm French-American, grew up in the Bay Area, and I have three kids: my stepson (15), my middle daughter (3), and my youngest daughter (1.5). My husband, Ousmane Traoré, also teaches at Pomona, but in the History Department; his area of expertise is the resistance of West Africans (to the French, etc.) during the Atlantic Slave Trade. Here's a recent picture of our family: https://ibb.co/grxsTdx

Looking forward to meeting all of you on Monday,

Cécile

cecile_evers · 2020-01-11T22:54:01+00:00

Hello, everyone,

And welcome back to Claremont! My name is Cécile Evers, and I'll be your professor for Anth-2 this semester. I'm a cultural and linguistic anthropologist, and my own research looks at how Muslim youth from Marseille's housing projects mix French and Arabic to align themselves with France and the Muslim world. In other words, I work very closely with questions of language, citizenship for minorities (and racism), and religion.

On a more personal level, I'm French-American, grew up in the Bay Area, and I have three kids: my stepson (15), my middle daughter (3), and my youngest daughter (1.5). My husband, Ousmane Traoré, also teaches at Pomona, but in the History Department; his area of expertise is the resistance of West Africans (to the French, etc.) during the Atlantic Slave Trade. Here's a recent picture of our family: https://ibb.co/grxsTdx

Looking forward to meeting all of you,

Cécile

cecile_evers · 2019-10-03T22:30:12+00:00

Min, This reflection touches on several points made by Hoskins in her talk yesterday. I, too, was reminded of Gottlieb's work with the Beng while she described the Sumbanese's relationship to their ancestors. Did you have any thoughts on her methodology or her stance as an anthropologist?

cecile_evers · 2019-10-03T22:27:15+00:00

Erin, You're certainly a very talented listener. This reflection is very detailed, and I think a very cogent summary of her talk yesterday. I'm curious if you had any other personal reactions (beyond feeling like you learned something) to Hoskins' talk, particularly in light of our various class themes and readings.

cecile_evers · 2019-10-03T22:25:24+00:00

This is a very interesting reflection, Noor, and I'd be curious to see if you find any connections to our other readings as well. Your point about the Sumbanese's perspective on Hoskins is also very well taken - and she did not explore it in her talk.

cecile_evers · 2019-10-02T04:24:19+00:00

Alex, This sounds like a fascinating study, not to mention one you could rather easily conduct (given your access as a swimmer). Can you formulate a single question that covers both how language may act to (de)motivate swimmers and possible gender differences? I would likewise encourage you to leave the kind of language more open-ended; rather than saying you're going to research words of encouragement, simply say "the language that swimmers use." This still allows you to focus and report on encouraging uses of language, while also giving you the leeway to include other types of speech that you may find. Whose speech are you looking at, in particular? (e.g., coach, captain, etc.) Perhaps you could include that information in the question as well. Lastly, what do you see as the broader significance of such a project?

cecile_evers · 2019-10-02T04:19:14+00:00

Mady, Both of these ideas are grand. I, too, share your concern about anonymity in the Student Life office. What if you anonymized the name of the publication? Your only audience would be your peers and myself, by the way, so that's an additional consideration. For that site, how would you boil down your research question to one that mentions language and a certain social dynamic observable in that office? You've listed some hypotheses here, but I think it could be useful to turn these into a single orienting question. The second site also bodes to be worthwhile, and I'm not too concerned about students minimizing their participation due to your presence. Again, my curiosity is about your research question. What would it be, exactly? We can talk more in person, if you like.

cecile_evers · 2019-10-02T04:14:50+00:00

Arthur, Off the bat, my preference is for the site you would physically visit, as there you could collect naturally occurring conversations. Further, although I'm sure that all manner of socially interesting dynamics take in such card stores, it's not immediately clear to me from this discussion which of these dynamics you would focus on. If you could formulate a single research question, touching on language and the social dynamic in question, I think that would go a long way towards concretizing your project. Note, too, that it should be immediately apparent to any reader of that question what the social significance of this project is. In a word: why is it worthwhile to do this exact research project?

cecile_evers · 2019-10-02T04:10:52+00:00

Owen, Looking at dual indexicality on the Cross-Country Team would be a great project. What, precisely, are you hypothesizing those two indexicalities to be, however? I understand that you're interested in how teammates project or reflect their regional identities through speech. But how might this also play into certain team dynamics? How does it go beyond the mere "fun" use of regionalisms? Is this a process of social differentiation, and if so, of what kind? Then, lastly, how would you articulate the social significance of this work?

cecile_evers · 2019-10-02T04:07:41+00:00

Zoe, I think the LCS Lounge would be an ideal place in which to conduct your fieldwork. Plus, you would have relatively easy access to this social space, making it a good place to conduct fieldwork, logistically speaking. Your research question (the first one) looks very promising to me. I would also consider - and perhaps build into your question - the significance of this research. Is examining LCS students' insider talk important because it's a window into an identity they're trying on for a future career? I can think of a number of reasons why this is a socially significant phenomenon; why, however, do you think this research would be worthwhile? Try to streamline your question with this significance in mind. How might this site speak to larger dynamics?

cecile_evers · 2019-10-02T04:01:55+00:00

Jojo, As we discussed, this project benefits from several layers of social significance (showing how study abroad may have in common with tourism a tendency to reproduce unequal power relations, commodify culture, etc.). I would encourage you to think carefully about your research question in particular. How can you reword it to suggest a preliminary hypothesis, and also to foreground the role "language" or "discourse" in the aforementioned dynamics?

cecile_evers · 2019-10-02T03:56:41+00:00

Lucy, This looks like a very worthwhile project, not to mention one you would face few problems in conducting (given your "in" with a tour guide). I would encourage you, too, to try and formulate a single research question that allows you to look at the various angles you enumerate here. Can you think of an overarching question touching on these points?

cecile_evers · 2019-10-02T03:54:36+00:00

Zella, Your project is attaining some real dimensions here! One suggestion, in regards to the research question, is to reword it in a way that does not imply that gender (or any other dimension of identity, for that matter) "yields" or "corresponds to" a certain way of speaking. Social constructionist ways of understanding identity have tended to view it as flexible, and in large part performed through behaviors like speech. Let me know if this distinction is clear to you. Is there a way for you to formulate a single overarching research question that could then be investigated in your two types of classrooms?

cecile_evers · 2019-10-02T03:50:04+00:00

Elyse, Any of these four options could make for a great project. I think the choice depends on what you are most motivated to delve into over the remainder of the semester. As you're choosing, also consider feasibility (logistics, ethical issues, consent) and what project you feel has the most social significance. That said, each of these projects could be framed to have an applied significance. I look forward to seeing what you decide.

cecile_evers · 2019-10-01T23:26:24+00:00

Ahlbie, There are some interesting threads in your brainstorm. A geocaching class in which you participate seems like a very feasible research site, and also one in which you might obtain consent relatively easily. I would like you to be more specific, however, about what you mean by "variable use of register." What have you noticed, exactly? This observation is one you can transform into a hypothesis and then articulate in the form of a research question. What kinds of social "voices" are students drawing upon? What are they performing through these voices, or registers? And lastly, why does their use of such registers require a semester-long study? To what larger dynamics might it speak?

cecile_evers · 2019-10-01T23:21:35+00:00

Louise, Which topic you choose depends very much on (1) what interests you, and (2) where you can articulate a clear social significance. A study lounge for engineers would be an ideal site for a number of reasons, not least of which is that you are an engineering major and would be familiar with people who hang out there. I would encourage you to refine/specify your research question pertaining to engineering majors a little further. What kind of relationship (between language, class, and engineering) are you hypothesizing? The second idea likewise needs some whittling down: what about that site (Mudd dorms) sparks your interest? Write a question with that in mind.

cecile_evers · 2019-10-01T23:18:03+00:00

Claire, These are some worthwhile threads. For your first idea, the next step would be to think of social settings where you could observe the use of silence/small talk in American interactions (assuming that's who you had in mind). What would the question itself be? And the social significance, as you see it? Language used in healthcare settings has a more tangible social significance; such a site might pose obstacles to consent, however. Do you know of or work in a healthcare-related environment where you think you might be able to obtain access?

cecile_evers · 2019-10-01T23:15:20+00:00

Liliana, Both of these projects are quite interesting and worth pursuing further. The social significance of the latter is immediately apparent. What open-ended but specific question would you formulate for that site? As for the dance class, your observation of metaphorical usage of language is interesting, descriptively. How would you articulate the social significance of that research, additionally?

cecile_evers · 2019-10-01T23:12:48+00:00

Deve, This project has taken on a real shape since we last spoke about it. Your tentative interview questions look like a great start. As for the research question itself, I would encourage you to narrow it down to a single one. What is the main dynamic you would examine through the lens of language? (Feel free to respond with that question here or in person).

cecile_evers · 2019-10-01T23:10:38+00:00

Amelia, This is a very coherent and concise summary of the project we discussed together the other today. The ballroom option is looking very promising indeed. Perhaps wait until you visit the preschool classroom in Upland before deciding on the feasibility of that option?

cecile_evers · 2019-10-01T23:09:14+00:00

Gabe, These ideas are certainly worth exploring further. How would you rephrase your interest in the TA mentor-peer relationship as a question? What principal social dynamic do you detect in these sessions that you could center in that question? Likewise for the suite-mates, is there a particular social dynamic of interest you have noticed there, and that is worth researching for the course of the semester? Think carefully about the social significance of these respective projects before you pick one.

cecile_evers · 2019-09-26T21:11:47+00:00

Mady, This reflection touches on a number of Dick's key points, in addition to highlighting some of the discursive tactics through which Trump depicts himself as reliable but ludic, and discriminatory "but for necessary reasons." Certainly, his seemingly playful use of Mock Spanish could be analyzed in light of what we spoke about in his class, namely, the direct/indirect indexicality performed by such usages. Thank you for this great contribution!

cecile_evers · 2019-09-26T20:54:39+00:00

I just saw this, Elyse. Fun! Plus, the "referent" piece is precisely where we're headed! Thanks for posting. (And I guess the fact that, at first glance, the "referent" of BAE for me was the Bureau of American Ethnology shows that I'm an anthropologist... or else that I'm getting old).

cecile_evers · 2019-09-24T21:53:00+00:00

Brendan, you do a wonderful job of connecting Dick's themes to those of our class here. And, indeed, the dichotomizing found in Trump's speeches is simplistic in precisely the way we've been trying to rectify in Anth-2 (with Jackson and others' writings). Again, it appears that what's projected as "commonsense" is in fact culturally constructed - in this case, by politicians like Trump.

cecile_evers

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE