UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Linguistic Anthropology
Assistant Professor

The Department of Anthropology invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor with research interests in linguistic anthropology. Applicants are expected to hold a Ph.D. in Anthropology by August 2011, and have demonstrated abilities in applying for research funding and presenting and publishing research findings, as well as preparation for teaching.

The Anthropology Department at USC is a four-field Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. granting program with a shared focus on comparative diasporas and social justice (www.cas.sc.edu/anth/ ). This position is one of several positions in diaspora studies (broadly defined) being advertised across disciplines at USC this fall. The successful candidate for the position in linguistic anthropology will need to contribute to the linguistic and cultural anthropology curriculum in the department, and will likely be a strong contributor to the Linguistics Program at USC, which also offers the Ph.D. Linguistic anthropology courses are often cross-listed between Anthropology and Linguistics. All faculty members in the Anthropology Department contribute to the training of undergraduate and graduate students in a four-field approach to anthropology. The University of South Carolina offers many opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. In addition to Linguistics, Anthropology faculty participate in various interdisciplinary programs on campus, including African Studies, African American Studies, Islamic World Studies, Latin American Studies, Southern Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, and others. A linguistic anthropologist whose research incorporates a focus on gender and sexuality would have strong colleagues across USC in Women’s and Gender Studies, for example, and would have the opportunity to affiliate with that program and cross-list courses.

The successful candidate for this position in linguistic anthropology may work in any geographic region, but must have completed sociocultural-linguistic fieldwork. Preference will be given to applicants with research experience with a language other than English and whose research incorporates one or more of the following foci: language and inequality in institutional settings;  globalization and diasporic studies; and language, gender, and sexuality. Applications from candidates who incorporate video ethnographic methods in their research are encouraged, since the Anthropology Department offers, in addition to the degree programs mentioned above, a graduate certificate in Visual Anthropology. Applicants are invited to address, in the letter of application, how they might approach teaching some of the following courses and/or discuss courses they might design: Language, Culture and Society, Ethnography of Communication, Discourse and Gender, Language and Globalization, Semiotics, Language Ideology, and Qualitative Methods. 

The University of South Carolina has been designated as one of only 73 public and 35 private academic institutions with “very high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The Carnegie Foundation also lists USC as having strong community engagement. The University has over 28,000 students on the main campus (and over 43,000 students system-wide), 350 degree programs, and a nationally-ranked library system. Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, has a population of over 650,000 in the greater metropolitan area.

Applicants should submit a letter of intent describing their interests and credentials, curriculum vitae, statements of research and teaching interests, accomplishments, three letters of recommendation, writing sample and samples of published and unpublished research electronically to keegan@mailbox.sc.edu :

Mailing Address:
Search Committee
Department of Anthropology
C/O Cat Keegan, Office Manager
Hamilton Rm 317
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208

For full consideration, all application materials must be received no later than October 3, 2011. Inquiries about the position may be sent to keegan@sc.edu, and they will be forwarded to the Search Committee. Ms. Keegan may be reached at 803-777-9604.

The University of South Carolina is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or veteran status. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.

/cs 20 Jul 2011