Anthropology 2245F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Pragmatics, Indexicality, Performativity

• School: Western University
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: Anthropology 2245F/G
• Professor: Penessi

Document Summary

Give examples of how people accomplish things in the social world through language. Define indexicality and explain how it works in terms of language and identity. What language means vs. what language does. Language is not always used referentially: can be used in a non-semantic kind of way, e. g. greetings (non-verbal: nods, etc. ; acknowledgement of their presence; only greet sometimes and to certain people; greetings mark the relationship in a certain way. The study of language in use and how context contributes to meaning. Meaning of utterance depends on the context in which it is said. How language does things in the social world: e. g. prayers (relationship with god); entertainment (jokes, stories) playing with language; constructing identities by the way you speak. How people create social identities and relationships through repetition of daily linguistic practices. Austin said that not everything is not measured through true/false validity.