LINGUIST List 2.858

Fri 13 Dec 1991

Qs: Language and Culture, Chomsky

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1. CHARLES LAUGHLIN, Query: Text for Language and Culture
2. , Chomsky

As I plan for next term's "Language and Culture" course (an anthropology
of language course), I become aware once again that there doesn't seem
to exist a general textbook available in the anth of language or
linguistic anth. Gone the way of all good things are Goodenough's,
Hymes', etc. Eastman is dated and does not get good reviews from my
students. Am I correct that there is really nothing out there?
Charles Laughlin
Sociology & Anthropology
Carleton University
Ottawa, CANADA K1S 5B6
Charles Laughlin <CHARLESLCARLETON.CA>

Anyone know what this blurb is referring to? Someone sent it to me
in a search for clarification, and I'm not sure if I can provide it!
It's news to me!
 Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1991 07:40:34 EST
 Sender: ANSAXNET Discussion Forum <ANSAX-L%WVNVM.BITNETuga.cc.uga.edu>
 From: Daniel G Donoghue <DGD%HARVUNXW.BITNETuga.cc.uga.edu>
 Subject: Beyond Government Bonding: Noam Chomsky's latest
***A News Flash for those interested in syntax and theory***
Noam Chomsky's at it again! His latest version of syntactic theory,
as he is now elaborating it at MIT, is a radical departure from
his earlier theories. He has dispensed with deep structure! Now
he begins with lexical items distributed in any order, puts them
through a morphemic analysis, and arrives at what used to be
surface structure by way of a series of calculations.
(I have this second hand, but reliably so, by way of a graduate
student taking his course. Can't attend them myself this
semester.)
He began in this direction last year, but as I've heard, didn't
have his ideas formulated well, so the lectures were very
confusing and frustrating for the students. Next year he's going
on leave to write it up. Should be very interesting. Some of his
new ideas, I understand, are based on a return to some of his earliest
work.
No matter what one thinks of his theories, it says a lot about
his character (not to mention his mind) that he is willing to
dispense with one theory if he finds it unsatisfactory--to admit
he was wrong, essentially--and to formulate a new one. But pity
the poor graduate students who are finishing up a dissertation
that relies on Government Bonding!
Dan Donoghue