The language we use forms an important part of our sense of who we are - of our identity. This book outlines the relationship between our identity as members of groups - ethnic, national, religious and gender - and the language varieties important to each group. What is a language? What is a dialect? Are there such things as language 'rights'? Must every national group have its own unique language? How have languages, large and small, been used to spread religious ideas? Why have particular religious and linguistic 'markers' been so central, singly or in combination, to the ways in which we think about ourselves and others? Using a rich variety of examples, the book highlights the linkages among languages, dialects and identities, with special attention given to religious, ethnic and national allegiances.
| ISBN | 052169602X | | Volumes | 1 | | ISBN13 | 9780521696029 (What's this?) | | Weight (grammes) | 450 | | Publisher | Cambridge University Press | | Published in | Cambridge | | Imprint | Cambridge University Press | | Series title | Key Topics in Sociolinguistics | | Format | Paperback | | Height (mm) | 216 | | Publication date | 17 Sep 2009 | | Width (mm) | 138 | | DEWEY | 306.44 | | Spine width (mm) | 15 | | DEWEY edition | DC22 | | Academic level | Tertiary education | | Pages | 322 | |
|
|
|
1. Introduction; 2. Identity, the individual and the group; 3. Identifying ourselves; 4. Language, dialect and identity; 5. Dialect and identity: beyond standard and non-standard; 6. Language, religion and identity; 7. Language, gender and identity; 8. Ethnicity and nationalism; 9. Assessments of nationalism; 10. Language and nationalism; 11. Language planning and language ecology.
'Written in a truly interdisciplinary spirit, this rich, lucid and irreverent book on language, culture and politics is bound to win admirers across the humanities and social sciences. Very readable, highly enjoyable, deeply enlightening.' Thomas Hylland Eriksen, Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Oslo 'This wide-reaching book is of admirable clarity in presenting diverse, complex issues ... Edward's opinions ... are clearly explained and reasoned in relation to the scholarly literature and would certainly serve to generate lively debate in a classroom setting and interest scholars of nationalism seeking an introduction to related aspects of sociolinguistics.' Nations and Nationalism

Be the first to write a
customer review