Year of languages at the University of Toronto

Sat Feb 3 01:06:48 UTC 2007

The Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto has designated
2006/2007 as the Year of Languages as a way to recognize the importance of
languages in education, research, and cross-cultural engagement, as well as
the broad range of study opportunities in more than 40 languages at U of T.
Each unit has had the opportunity to apply for funding for associated
events.   For full details on all events, please see:
http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/languages/.

The department of anthropology and the women and gender studies institute
are sponsoring a series of events that may be of particular interest to
readers of this list.  If you're in the area, please consider dropping by.

The first of these events will be a two day workshop on language and
neoliberalism on Feb. 16th and 17th, with plenary talks by Charles Briggs
and Miyako Inoue.  A full schedule is attached below.  Abstracts and speaker
profiles are available on our web-site.

Schedule of Papers, Workshop on Language and Neoliberalism

Feb. 16-17th, University of Toronto.

This event is a Year of Languages Event, co-sponsored by Anthropology, Women
and Gender Studies, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Feb. 16            All morning events  are in Sidney Smith 560A

 9:00 -  9:15

9:15-11:15       PLENARY SESSION 1:  Miyako Inoue (Anthropology, Stanford
University). "What Do Women Want?:  Gender Equity and the Ethics and
Aesthetics of Self in Neoliberal

Japan."  Discussant:  Monica Heller (CREFO, OISE, Université de Toronto)

**Please note: This presentation and discussion will be based on a
pre-circulated paper.  This paper is available from luci.mok at utoronto.ca or
bonnie.mcelhinny at utoronto.ca

11:15  11:30  BREAK

Neoliberal Language Revitalization

11:30  12:00  Shaylih Muehlmann (Anthropology, Univ. of Toronto)

                        ³Go screw yourselfŠ² and other expressions of
indigenous authenticity

12:00  12:30  Lindsay Bell (Sociology & Equity Studies in Education,
University of Toronto) "The Limitations of Language Revitalization:
Conflicts and Contradictions in Kenai, Alaska"

12:30  1         Jacqueline Urla (Anthropology, University of Massachusetts
Amherst) "Total Quality Language Revival"

1 -  2:30           Lunch  at Hart House Grill (for
presenters--pay-your-own-way)

All afternoon events are at Croft Chapter House, University College,
University of Toronto.

2:30-4              PLENARY SESSION 2:  Charles Briggs (Anthropology,
University of California, Berkeley)  "Making Neoliberal Subjects:
Communicable Imaginaries in News Coverage of Biomedicine"

4-4:15              BREAK

Consuming Citizenship:  Consent and Coercion in Classrooms, Corporations and
Communities

4:15-4:45         Abigail Sone (Anthropology, Univ. of Toronto) "Neoliberal
Violence and Anti-Poverty Activism"

4:45-5:15          Susanne Cohen (Anthropology, University of Michigan)
"Divide and Empower:  Neoliberal Language Ideology in a Russian Subsidiary
of an American Multinational"

5:15  5:30      BREAK

5:30-6:00         Christian W. Chun (Curriculum, Teaching and
Learning/Second Language Education, University of Toronto), "The English
language classroom: The rise of a market and its consumers"

6:00  6:30      Zoe Wool (Anthropology, Univ. of Toronto) "On the economy":
Discursive positionings and neo-liberal subjects on an U.S. Army base

6:30  7:00      Marnie Bjornson (Anthropology, University of Toronto)
"Speaking of citizenship: Language ideologies in Dutch citizenship regimes"

7:30-                Dinner  (Messis, 97 Harbord St.)

Feb. 17            All events are in the Boardroom of the Women and Gender
Studies Institute (Room 2053, Wilson Hall).

Linguistic Ideologies of and in Entrepreneurial/Workplace Discourse

9:30  10:00    Bonnie McElhinny (Anthropology and Women and Gender Studies)
"Building Business Value Through Communities of Practice": Progressive and
Neoliberal Uses of Linguistic Ideologies around Performance and Flexibility"

10  10:30       Kori Allan (Anthropology, Univ. of Toronto), "From cultural
miscommunication to skills commodification: Neoliberalizing immigrant labour
and language training in the Œnew global economy¹"

10:30 10:45   BREAK

Neoliberal Language Ideologies in Post-Socialist Contexts

10:45  11:15  Jie Yang (Anthropology, Univ. of Toronto),  "Spectral
Politics: Socialism, Neoliberalism, and Language Ideology in China"

11:15  11:45  Jonathan Larson (Anthropology, Miami University/University of
Michigan) ³Political voice, conflicted voices: Resituating responsibility in
Western Slovak language arts classes²

11:45-12:15     Discussion of formats, questions and venues for future
conversations.

************************************

Note:  Speaker Profiles and abstracts for papers are available on the
web-site of the Women and Gender Studies Institute:
http://www.utoronto.ca/wgsi/news-events/index.html.

For further information on this workshop,please contact Luci Mok
luci.mok at utoronto.ca or Bonnie McElhinny (bonnie.mcelhinny at utoronto.ca).

-- 

Bonnie McElhinny

Associate Professor
Anthropology and Gender and Women's Studies Institute

Graduate Coordinator, Women and Gender Studies Institute

Co-editor, GENDER AND LANGUAGE
(http://www.equinoxpub.com/journals/main.asp?jref=60)

University of Toronto
100 St. George St.
Toronto ON M53 3G3

Email:  bonnie.mcelhinny at utoronto.ca

Office phone:  416-978-3297

Fax:  416-978-3217