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Linguistic

Linguistic anthropology is a concentration within Cultural Anthropology that emphasizes qualitative approaches to the study of language in society, with particular attention to the roles of verbal and written expression in social inequality, political economy, language ideology, immigration, law, colonialism, race, ethnicity, gender, generation, and class. Training for both undergraduate and graduate students emphasizes both methodological and theoretical approaches to the study of language and culture. Learn more about linguistic and cultural anthropology at Northwestern.

Undergraduate opportunities

Undergraduate students can explore the subfield through courses, research opportunities, and more. Review all undergraduate anthropology courses. 

Graduate program

Graduate students focusing on linguistic anthropology will develop not only fieldwork tools but also conceptual approaches to communication through a number of advanced seminars and methods course. Learn about graduate-level courses in linguistic anthropology.

Labs and field studies

Linguistic Anthropology Laboratory

The linguistics laboratory provides a space for student training and analysis of the dynamic relationship between language and culture. Read more about the lab’s facilities and training opportunities.