Sociolinguistics

Glyn Williams offers a critique of mainstream sociolinguistics and the sociology of language. He takes as his starting point the philosophical roots of the theory of language in society, arguing that they lie in a specific attitude to society which derives from 18th and 19th century social philosophy. This attitude is consensual in nature, and has been lost in the "taken-for-granted" nature of sociolinguistic theory. It involves a view of society as consisting of rational subjects manipulating language and leads to the mistaken belief that language reflects society. Williams goes on to present a critical overview of the various sub-fields of language in society, and shows how they share a particular view of the nature of society - a view which is at the centre of the "common sense" social philosophy of American society. This book should be of interest to introductory students, undergraduates and academics in linguistics, particularly sociolinguistics and also sociologists.