Language is an important means in the construction of human identity. We use language to position ourselves in society in terms of gender, age, place of origin, education, profession, and political or religious beliefs. However, individual, personal identities are always constructed against the background of group-identities and are thus the product of a complex web of internal and external interpretations, making them a dynamic and discursively constructed phenomenon. The first, theoretical part of the course will focus on the relation between language and identity from a discourse-analytic perspective and discuss linguistic approaches to the analysis of identity construction. Additionally, we will look at empirical research focusing on the linguistic construction and perception of personal, group and collective identity in various discourse domains, including on- and offline contexts. In the second, practical part of the course, taking part in the summer semester of next year, students will create their own projects related to the theoretical background covered in the winter semester.
- Dozent/in: Milica Rodic