[Linganth] Call for papers: AAA panel on "Language and Materiality"

[Sarah Monson]

Dear Colleagues,



I am organizing a panel for the 2017 AAA meetings in Washington, DC (Nov.
28-Dec.3) on the topic of “Language and Materiality.” (Please note: the
panel title is subject to refinement depending on the contents of
individual papers.)



Language and materiality is certainly not a new topic within anthropology
and ling anth, but it is of increasing importance. I am particularly
interested in the consequences of language use (i.e., loss or gains
relating to financial, reputation, and social status). For instance, there
was the former PR director Justine Sacco, who, before a trip to South
Africa, tweeted "Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm
white!" and then was out of a job before she even landed. Recently, in the
U.S. we have seen lots of social media uproar on account of President Trump
and his administration. Betsy DeVos’s comment supporting guns in schools in
case of a grizzly bear attack promptly turned into social media cartoons
and memes. Kellyanne Conway's explanation of "alternative facts" in support
of Sean Spicer's false statements regarding attendance at Trump's
inauguration has not only undermined Conway herself but the entire
administration.



In my own work, Ghanaian women traders have told me many times that if they
don't use "sweet talk" (i.e., talk nicely to their buyers and suppliers)
they risk losing money, reputation, and ultimately risk losing their
customer base and thus their long-term economic security. Just as a poor
review on Yelp can damage a business's reputation, a negative review or
gossip thread about a trader can damage hers.



In short, there are economic, material, and social consequences for
language use.



If your work fits within this framework and you are interested in
participating in this panel, please contact me with your paper topic and/or
ideas for narrowing the panel theme.


Sarah Monson (Indiana University, Bloomington) smonson at indiana.edu



Kind regards,

Sarah Monson

-- 
Sarah Monson
PhD candidate
Department of Anthropology
Indiana University, Bloomington
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