Language, Society and Power

An Introduction

By Linda Thomas, Shân Wareing, Ishtla Singh, Jean Stilwell Peccei, Joanna Thornborrow, Jason Jones

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About the Book

'This is a book written by real academics, drawing articulately on their own research interests, and using an excellent range of twenty-first century examples to give the book a lively, contemporary feel. The extensive textual analysis is far superior to some of the banal tasks often found in introductory textbooks.' – Martin Conboy, University of Sheffield, UK

Language, Society and Power looks at the ways in which language functions, how it influences thought and how it varies according to age, ethnicity, class and gender. It seeks to answer such questions as: How can a language reflect the status of children and older people? Do men and women talk differently? How can our use of language mark our ethnic identity? The book also looks at language use in politics and the media and examines how language affects and constructs our identities, exploring notions of correctness and attitudes towards language use.

This second edition includes recent developments in theory and research and offers the following features:

Language, Society and Power remains an essential introductory text for students of English language and linguistics, and will also be of use to students of media, communication, cultural studies, sociology and psychology.

Table of Contents

1. What is Language and What Does it Do? 2. Language, Thought and Representation 3. Language and Politics 4. Language and the Media 5. Language and Gender 6. Language and Ethnicity 7. Language and Age 8. Language and Class 9. Language and Identity 10. The Standard English Debate 11. Attitudes to Language. Glossary. References. Index