Unfortunately this event has been postponed until the following academic year.

Discover research that brings together corpus linguistics and anthropology exploring similarities and differences among Muslims and Christians in southwest Nigeria

About the event

Dr Insa Nolte (University of Birmingham) and Dr Clyde Ancarno (KCL) introduce research that brings together corpus linguistics and anthropology to explore similarity and difference among Muslims and Christians in southwest Nigeria. The research uses extensive survey data collected as part of an interdisciplinary project focusing on inter-religious relations in Yoruba-speaking parts of southwest Nigeria.

Discursive choices made by Christian and Muslim respondents in the 1,535 questionnaires filled in English are compared and contrasted to identify similarities and differences in the way they talk about religious co-existence.

Findings illustrate the distinct historical trajectories of Islam and Christianity in Yoruba society, while also showing that there are substantial similarities in the way Christians and Muslims talk about religion, which reflect close mutual engagement. Methodologically, the findings demonstrate that corpus methods can be successfully applied as part of anthropological research.

They also indicate the value of anthropological approaches to the study of large samples of texts, especially when little research has focused on the language variety under scrutiny.

After the event we will head to a nearby venue for drinks with the presenters. 

About the speakers

Dr Insa Nolte

Reader in African Studies, Head of Department of African Studies and Anthropology at the University of Birmingham

Insa's research focuses on the importance of private and everyday life for wider social relations and political processes in the Yoruba-speaking Southwest of Nigeria. Her current work centres on encounters and relations between Yoruba Muslims, Christians, and traditionalists, and explores religion and gender in multi-religious marriages and family life.

The study of the relationship between the personal and the political over time means that she is committed to interdisciplinary methodologies across the boundary between history and anthropology. In order to drive forward the study of everyday engagement with religious multiplicity my research also includes multi-disciplinary approaches based on survey data and corpus linguistics.

Dr Clyde Ancarno

Lecturer in Applied Linguistics at King's College London

Clyde’s work in the field of applied linguistics involves: (digital) discourse analysis; corpus linguistics; corpus-assisted discourse studies/CADS, and pragmatics. She has explored discourses in a range of professional and communication contexts – the media, tourism, ELT, intercultural and email communication.

Interest in social cohesion – particularly in heterodox discourses capturing stories of integration, tolerance and shared identities – underpins her current work on inter-religious relations and animals.

Clyde is currently teaching on a range of BA and MA modules in our school. She is a member of The Centre for Language, Discourse and Communication (ECS research group) and co-organises the 'Corpus research in linguistics and beyond' seminar series.

How to register

If you wish to attend this event please send an email to Chris Tang at chris.tang@kcl.ac.uk.

Please note that this event is taking place in the Waterloo Bridge Wing (WBW) of the Franklin Wilkins Building. The WBW can be accessed to the side of the IMAX cinema.