Language and Identity in the Arab World
In this course we will focus on issues of language and identity in the Arab world, addressing the relationship between language and socio-cultural variables that contribute to the construction of identity (e.g., region, ethnicity, religion, nationalism, gender, among others). We will also focus on the diglossic alternation between Formal Arabic and Vernacular Arabic in language usage and how it relates to identity-construction. Furthermore, we will explore issues of identity with regard to speakers of minority languages (e.g., Mahri, Berber, Kurdish) within dominantly Arabic-speaking communities, as well as the impact of foreign languages on identity-construction during and after the colonialist era. (No prerequisite, but having Arabic 0101 knowledge is preferred). 3 hrs lect./disc.