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Meetings: |
TTh 12:30-2:20 |
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Location: |
MGH 282 |
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Website: |
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Instructor: |
Alicia Beckford Wassink (wassink@u...) |
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Office: |
A217 Padelford |
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Office Hrs: |
Th 10-12:00pm and by appt. |
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Office Ph: |
616-9589 |
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Dept. Ph: |
543-2046 (Linguistics Dept. main
office) |
Our electronic
reserves page is:
https://eres.lib.washington.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=6694&page=docs#
Our Class
Discussion Board is:
https://catalysttools.washington.edu/gopost/board/wassink/12880/
Our Email list for
the course is:
ling534a_au09@u.washington.edu
Learning Objectives
By the conclusion of this course, students should be able
to:
1.
Design an ethnographic study of a
social network
2.
Distinguish the notion of social
network analysis from the notion of social network theory and state key tenets
of social network theory
3.
Assess the size, structure or content
characteristics of social networks and relations within them; compute network
density, multiplexity, bias and integration; associate actors with key
structural positions; graph basic ego-centric networks using UCI Net software
4.
Articulate the key findings of
“classic” social network studies in the field of sociolinguistics that have examined
the relationship between network features and some observed aspect of
linguistic variation or change
5.
Situate sociolinguistic network studies
within the broader realm of social network research (assess strengths,
limitations, possible future directions)
Course Overview
This advanced, graduate-level course is concerned with
language in its social context--as it is used by everyday people in everyday interaction.
Our attention will be centered on social networks--those webs of informal and
formal interpersonal contacts that comprise all human societies. We will examine the ways in which the
linguistic behavior of people in society reflects their membership in
small-scale clusters such as neighborhoods or recreational groups.
Research into social networks is regarded within the field
of sociolinguistics as breaking new ground in our understanding of the ways
that social forces impact the way that language varies and changes over
time. Introduced to
sociolinguistic research the 1980s by James and Lesley Milroy, this approach
draws on the interdisciplinary field of social network analysis, which
encompasses a range of methods, structural notions, and graphing techniques
developed by sociologists, anthropologists, statisticians, among other
practitioners. Sociolinguists recognize the approach as synthesizing Labovian
approaches to social dialectology with Gumperzian approaches to social
anthropology and the sociology of language.
Just a note: we
will NOT be studying or using the web-based social network software that has
recently become widely popular on the internet (e.g., MySpace, LinkedIn,
FaceBook, etc.)
Prerequisites: LING400 (or other
upper-level introduction to Linguistics). Recommended prerequisites: LING432 or 532.
Expectations:
You are
expected to do all of the day’s required reading before the start of class and
to be prepared to discuss your learning, questions and opinions. New concepts
and definitions will come both from reading done in advance of class, and
lecture. You will be expected to build facility articulating these ideas. To
help you meet this goal, plan to keep a notebook in which to store definitions
and work problems. Class meetings
will include time for both lecturing, discussion and group exercises. We do not
test on definitions and analysis problems. Rather, we build analytical skills
by working problems in the course of graded daily assignments and in-class
exercises. Because much of our
work is collaborative, we will extensively use the GoPost site as a forum for
ongoing discussion.
Evaluation:
There are three components to
evaluation in this course:
1) Daily assignments and discussion
(30%)
2) Handbook term project (45%)
3) Personal network project (25%)
1.
Daily Assignments and Discussion (30%)
Our graded assignments will alternate
between reading responses , network structure exercises, and
tutorials in social network graphing. The graphing assignments are intended to introduce the student to use of UCINet
6 software. Reading responses are intended to give you an opportunity to articulate
thoughts about a concept or study, and will be submitted via the online
discussion board for the course. Students are encouraged to read each others’
reading responses (no grades will be shown online), and engage each others’
ideas. On the day a response paper is due, we will routinely talk about the
main gist of students’ response before the assignment is turned in.
2. Personal network project (25%)
Our central exercise will be a “Personal Network Project”, completed
across the quarter. All students
will complete a partial quantification of their own personal social networks,
and (depending on class size) the network density of the LING534 class. You will be asked to choose one week
during October or early November in which you will keep a journal or diary of
your contacts. The completed project packet contains three components:
a.
a record of your social interactions for one week (any week this quarter, but
be deliberate and complete!). This will be turned in.
b.
a graph of your network linkages, including a diagram of your first and
second-order network zones (using some graphical network software, like UCINet
for Windows, or Network Insight for MacOSX)
c.
a write-up about your personal network, including the information laid out in
the Personal Network Project guidelines. 7-10 pps.
The
completed journal, graph and write up of the project (parts a-c) will be
submitted in class: Tuesday, November 24, 2009.
3.
Handbook Term Project: (45%)
The term project in this course is a
cooperatively completed work entitled (tentatively) "A Social Network
Theory Handbook: Applications to variationist sociolinguistics." We will think of this as a co-authored
scholarly publication of a work that will make a major contribution to the
field. This project provides graduate students with an opportunity to
experience the process of peer review and collaboration, in preparation for a
career of academic work.
Our work will be topically arranged, possibly
following the headings on the syllabus below. Students will include 3 (or more) articles or writings not included
on the syllabus to provide a foundation for the handbook chapter, in
consultation with the instructor. Each student is responsible for one
chapter in the Handbook, which is due during the final examination hour for
this class. This project will be
completed in three stages:
1. Draft
handbook chapter: Each student will independently write a chapter (4-pages,
single-spaced) for the handbook. Each student will choose a topic in
consultation with the instructor. You should select a set of readings (the “3
(or more)” mentioned above) to discuss in advance with the instructor prior to
writing the draft. The draft of this work will be posted to the GoPost site for
peer review and revision.
2.
Complete a peer review: Students will
exchange their chapter draft with another member of the class. Students will
provide their partners with a scholarly review (evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the draft;
missing elements; suggestions regarding revision). The final handbook chapter
should show responsiveness to the suggestions made in the peer review. Chapter
drafts are not turned in for a grade, however, peer reviews are. You
will submit peer reviews to the GoPost discussion board. The student is
responsible for making sure his or her review is turned in.
3. Organize handbook: the class will decide
together on the format and organization of the handbook, additional desired elements
(e.g. graphics, supplemental
bibliography, etc.). The instructor will write the front matter.
Your handbook
chapter is due at the beginning of the final examination period for the course:
Thursday, December 17, 2009, 10:30
in the instructor’s office or via email (in .doc or .docx
format—no .pdfs!!). Within one month after assembly, the
completed handbook will be distributed to class members’ departmental
mailboxes. The class often chooses to have a(n) (optional) coffee gathering to
discuss the completed project.
Required Readings:
1.) Textbooks.
Milroy, L. (1987) Language
and Social Networks, 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell
2.) Electronic reserve readings
(https://eres.lib.washington.edu)
Note: Most of the foundational structural notions discussed come
from the following text, which is not required for purchase, but highly
recommended:
Wasserman, S. and Faust, K. (1994) Social
Network Analysis: methods and applications. In the series, Structural Analysis in
the Social Sciences, Cambridge: Cambridge UP.
Reading
Plan:
Our reading plan is
to engage the principal set of network studies written within the field of
sociolinguistics while bolstering our understanding of social networks more generally,
using classic literature in social network analysis. After the first week, most of our weekly reading will
include both literature from sociolinguistics and something from the larger
social network “canon.” We will go
heavy on the social aspects of social network analysis, as these will be most
relevant for students of general linguistics, communication studies, and
education, and quite a bit lighter on the mathematical, statistical and
computational aspects, which are not.
In terms of readings
in sociolinguistics, detailed consideration of several types of networks in
various parts of the globe will allow us to explore how an understanding of
social network ties can elucidate the regularity of language variation and
direction of language change: e.g., phonological change in the Austrian Alps,
retention of a rural dialect in an ethnic enclave in urban Brazil, development
of an urban vernacular in Belfast. We will see how these investigations of
different topics (from the social path taken by phonological changes to social
constraints on codeswitching) all entail different applications of social
network analysis, with different types of indices for estimating community
integration and determining structural information about different types of social
actors.
|
Wk |
Date |
Today
|
|
1 |
Th
10/1 |
1. Overview: ·
The need for ethnographic
approaches in variationist sociolinguistics ·
What are social networks? · How
to read for this course - Handout 1 - Discussion will
draw from: Rickford,
John. 1986. The need for new approaches to social class analysis in
sociolinguistics, Language and Communication 6(3) 215-222. For next
class: Read Wellman, W&F and collect
key definitions and questions from the reading |
|
2 |
T
10/6 |
2. Social Network Theory vs
Structural Analysis - Discussion will
draw from: Wellman,
B. 1988. Structural Analysis: from method and metaphor to theory and
substance. Social
Structures: a network approach. 19-61. [43pp] Wasserman,
S and K Faust. 1993. Social network analysis: methods and applications. chs. 1,
2.1-2.4.2. Cambridge: Cambridge. [50pp] For next
class: Read M |
|
|
Th
10/8 |
2. Theory, cont. and Application
to the Speech Community -
Handout 2 -
Discussion will draw from: Milroy,
L. (1987) Language and Social Networks, 2nd ed., ch. 1, 3. Oxford:
Blackwell [“LSN” hereafter, 53pp] For next
class: Read M & M Assignment
2: Begin Milroy
response paper to be turned in (3-5pp) next class. |
|
3 |
T
10/13 |
3. Networks in
Sociolinguistics I: The Belfast Study -
Turn in Milroy response paper -
Discussion will draw from: Milroy,
L. & Milroy, J. 1978. Belfast: change and variation in an urban vernacular. In,
Sociolinguistic
patterns in British English (P. Trudgill, ed.). London: Edward Arnold:
19-36. [17pp] Assignment
3: Begin UCINet introductory exercise, density and
multiplexity |
|
|
Th
10/15 |
3. cont. Networks in
Sociolinguistics I: Belfast, cont. - Discussion will draw from: LSN 5-6 [67pp] In-class work (to be turned in next class): UCINet
Relation Types exercise Part III, Multiplexity. You will turn in worksheet,
UCINet graph, handwritten matrix (if applicable). |
|
4 |
T
10/20 |
3.
cont. Networks in Sociolinguistics I: Background
for Belfast - Handout
3 - Turn
in UCINet Exercise I -
Discussion
will draw from: Boissevain,
J. (1973) An exploration of two first-order
network zones, ch. 8. In, Network Analysis: studies in human interaction (J. Boissevain,
ed.). The Hague: Mouton, pp. 126-147. [21pp] Mitchell, C. J. (1973) Networks, norms and institutions,
ch. 2. In, Network
Analysis: studies in human interaction (J. Boissevain, ed.). The Hague: Mouton, pp. 16-35. [19pp] For next time: begin thinking
about personal network project, examine sample diary formats |
|
|
Th
10/22 |
Meet and complete self-guided
discussion: ABW away -Work on personal network project -Next meeting, the class will present
a common journal format to be used for individual projects. For next time:
Read L |
|
5 |
T
10/27 |
4. Early research into network-sized groups and linguistic
variation: The Martha's Vineyard Study and local identity -
Discussion will draw from: Labov, W. (1963) The social motivation of a sound change, Word 19(3), pp.
273-309. [36pp] For next time:
Position and tie content response paper (Assignment 4) |
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|
Th10/29 |
class cancelled |
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6 |
T
11/3 |
5. Personal network project
(meet in sociolab or location with access to UCINet) - Turn in Assgt 4 - Matrix tutorial - Discussion will draw from: Wasserman, S and K Faust. 1993. Social network
analysis: methods and applications. ch 3. Cambridge: Cambridge UP [23pp] For next time:
Read B&G |
|
|
Th
11/5 |
6. Networks and norm
enforcement - Handout 4 - Discuss format for personal network
journal - Discussion will draw from: Blom, J-P. and Gumperz, J. 1972. Blom, Jan-Petter and Gumperz, John J.
(1972) Social meaning in linguistic structure: codeswitching in Norway. In
Gumperz, J. J. and Hymes, D. (eds.) Directions in sociolinguistics. New York:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, pp. 407-434. [27pp] For next time:
Read W&F |
|
7 |
T
11/10 |
7. Structural positions: actor centrality (degree,
betweeness, closeness) - Handouts 5a,b - Discussion will draw from: Wasserman, S and K Faust. 1993. Social network
analysis: methods and applications. Ch 5. Cambridge: Cambridge UP [48pp] -Schedule UCINet laboratory For
next time: Read B, K; keep working on personal
network project (Assgt 6) |
|
|
Th
11/12 |
8. Networks in
Sociolinguistics II: Regulatory control. Network bias in an immigrant
community. -
Sign-up for instructor meetings to discuss handbook topics -
Handout 6 - Discussion will draw from: Bott, E. (1957) Factors affecting social networks, ch. 4.
In Family
and Social Network: roles, norms and external relationships in ordinary urban
families. London: Tavistoc,
pp. 97-113. [16pp] Kirke, K. (2005) When there’s more
than one norm enforcement mechanism: Accommodation and shift among Irish
immigrants to New York City. Unpublished ms. [8pp] For next
time: Read B-R;
keep working on personal network project (Assgt 6) |
|
8 |
T
11/17 Th 11/19 |
9. Networks in
Sociolinguistics III: Geographic mobility and phonological restructuring
Contact vs.
Subsector approaches - Discussion will draw from: Bortoni-Ricardo, S.-M. (1985) The urbanization of rural dialect
speakers: a sociolinguistic study in Brazil. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.
§5.3, §6.4, §7.1.2-all of ch 8 (pp. 114-122, 138-149, 157-172, 173-216.) [76pp] For next
time: |
|
9 |
T
11/24 |
10. Global and local networks Personal
network projects due - Handout 7
- Discussion will draw from: Breiger, R. 1988. The duality of
persons and groups. Social Structures: a network approach (Wellman and Berkowitz, eds). 83-98. [15pp] Georg Simmel, 1950. The triad. The sociology
of Georg Simmel. New York: Free Press [24pp] For next time: Read E, A&M |
|
|
Th
11/26 |
No class: Thanksgiving Day |
|
10 |
T 12/1 |
11. Networks in Sociolinguistics IV: Ethnic dialect
variation Code-switching in two Black communities -
Handout 8 -
Discussion will draw from: Edwards,
V. (1986) Language
in a black community, chs. 7,8. Avon, England: Multilingual Matters, pp.
78-108. [30pp] Ash, S. and Myhill, J. (1986) Linguistic correlates of inter-ethnic
contact. In, Diversity
and diachrony (D. Sankoff, ed.). Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins,
pp. 33-44. [11pp] For next
time: Read L-G, LSN 7; Begin UCINet Exercise 3 (Assgt 8) |
|
|
Th
12/3 |
12. Networks in Sociolinguistics V: Social
Networks and linguistic change, the importance of weak ties -
Handout 9 -
Discussion will draw from: Granovetter,
M. (1983) The strength of weak ties:
a network theory revisited, Sociological Theory, 1(1), pp. 201-233.
[32pp] Milroy,
J. and Milroy, L. (1997). Network structure and linguistic
change. In, Sociolinguistics:
a reader and coursebook (N. Coupland and A. Jaworski, eds.). New York:St.
Martin's Press, pp. 199-211. [12pp] For
next time: Read B&E, V, finish Assgt 8 |
|
11 |
T
12/8 |
13. Structural Equivalence
and begin 14. Diffusion of Innovations -Assgt
8 due -
Discussion will draw from: Borgatti,
S. and M. Everett. 1992 Notions of position in network analysis. Sociological
Methodology 22: 1-36 [35pp] Valente,
T. M. (1995) Network
Models of the Diffusion of Innovations chs 1,2. (upto p. 23) [23pp] For
next time: Read V, complete peer reviews |
|
|
Th
12/10 |
14. cont. Diffusion of
Innovations -Handout
11 -
Peer reviews due -
Discussion will draw from: Valente,
T. M. (1995) Network
Models of the Diffusion of Innovations chs 4,5. [29pp] For next
time: Read V As needed:
Finalize content of handbook, discuss cross-referencing of chapter content |
|
|
Th
12/17 (final exam period) |
15, cont. Diffusion of
Innovations Course Evaluations -
Discussion will draw from: Valente, T. M. (1995) Network Models of the Diffusion of
Innovations ch 7. [34pp] |
Other readings of interest
From books on our syllabus this quarter:
Erickson, B., 1988. The relational
basis of attitudes. The duality of persons and groups. Social Structures: a network approach (Wellman
and Berkowitz, eds). 99ff.
Wellman, B., Carrington, P. J. and
Hall, A. 1988. Networks as personal communities. Social Structures: a network approach (Wellman
and Berkowitz, eds). 130ff.
*The readings above are included in Part II of the book Social
Structures: a network approach, entitled “Communities”
Recommended Introductory Networks Texts:
Scott, John (2006) Social Network Analysis: a handbook.
London: Sage.
Ch1
“Networks and Relations”: pgs1-6;
Ch 3
“Handling Relational Data”: pgs 38-62
Ch 4
“Points, Lines and Density”: pgs 63-81
Ch 5
“Centrality and Centralization”: pgs 82-99
Hanneman, Robert A. Introduction to
Social Network Methods, very readable online textbook.
http://wizard.ucr.edu/~rhannema/SOC157/SOFTWARE/NETTEXT.PDF
Other:
Auer, Peter, Birgit Barden, & Beate Grosskopf (1998)
Subjective and Objective Parameters Determining 'Salience' in Long-term Dialect
Accommodation, Journal
of Sociolinguistics 2 (2) , 163–187.
-----& Hinskens, Frans (2005) The role of interpersonal
accommodation in a theory of language change, ch 13. In, Dialect Change: convergence and divergence in European languages (P.
Auer, F. Hinskens, and P. Kerswill, eds). 335-357.
Dodsworth, R. (2005) Attribute
networking: a technique for modeling social perceptions, J of Sociolinguistics 9(2), 225-253
Dodsworth, R. and Hume, E. (2005)
Review of: Language change and sociolinguistics: rethinking social networks (by
J. Marshall). Journal of Sociolinguistics 9(2),
289-292
Everett, Martin G. & Borgatti, Stephen P. (2005) Extending
centrality, ch. 4. In, Models and methods in social network analysis (P.J. Carrington, J.
Scott and S. Wasserman, eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge UP. 57-76.
Marshall, Jonathan (2004) Language change
and sociolinguistics: rethinking social networks. Palgrave Studies in
Language Variation. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Reviewed in Dodsworth and
Hume (2005) 289-292.
McCormack,
William C. and Wurm, Stephen A. (1979) Language and Society: anthropological issues. Mouton:
The Hague. Particularly see
contributions by the following authors:
- Silverman &
Silverman, “Attitudes toward the adoption of an international language”
- Lakshmanna, C.,
“Emerging patterns of communication networks in a developing society”
- Alfendras. E.,
“Network concepts in the sociology of language”
Valente, Thomas W. (2005) Network models and methods for studying
the diffusion of innovations, ch. 6. In, Models and methods in social network analysis
(P.J. Carrington, J. Scott and S. Wasserman, eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge UP.
98-116.
Villena-Ponsoda, Juan
Andrés (2005) How similar are people who speak alike? An interpretive way of
using social networks in social dialectology research, ch 12. In, Dialect Change:
convergence and divergence in European languages (P. Auer, F. Hinskens, and
P. Kerswill, eds). 303-334.
Journals:
Human Relations, Springer
Social
Networks, Elsevier B. V.
Connections, http://www.analytictech.com/connections/
Commonly used network datasets:
http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/project/INSNA/data_inf.html
The Add Health Project
http://www.cpc.unc.edu/addhealth/