Language, culture and identity : an ethnolinguistic perspective / Philip Riley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Riley, Philip.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Language and culture.

Ethnicity.

Physical Description:

ix, 265 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Continuum, 2007.

Summary:

How language shapes and is shaped by identity is a key topic within sociolinguistics. An individual's identity is constituted through a variety of different factors, including the social, linguistic, cultural and ethnic contexts. In this book, Philip Riley looks at these issues against the theoretical background of the sociology of knowledge, and ethnolinguistics, asking how we learn who we are and how social identities are negotiated. The idea of 'the foreigner' is central to this account, yet traditional views of the role of being socially 'other' largely neglect the role of language. Riley bridges this gap by examining problematic aspects of multilingual identities, with particular reference to the notions of 'ethos' and the 'communicative virtues'. This engaging analysis of language and social identity will be essential reading for students of sociolinguistics at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Contents:

1.1 Theoretical and historical background 3

1.1.1 The sociology of knowledge 3

1.1.2 Ethnolinguistics 8

Chapter 2 The social knowledge system 21

2.1 Notes on the concept of culture 21

2.2 Structures and functions of the social knowledge system 30

2.3 The social learning process 32

2.4 'Culture' as knowledge: cultural markers 39

2.5 Knowledge, identity and competence 52

Chapter 3 Identity 69

3.1 Identity studies: some issues and approaches 69

3.2 Social identity: you are what you know 86

3.3 Communicative practices, roles and acts 92

3.4 Membershipping strategies, phatic communion and greetings 113

3.4.1 Membershipping strategies 113

3.4.2 Phatic communion and greetings 124

3.5 Rearing practices 133

Chapter 4 The Stranger 161

4.1 The Stranger: a social type 161

4.2 Anomie, recognition and citizenship 173

4.3 Pragmatic failure 189

4.4 Compensation strategies 200

Chapter 5 Reconfiguring identities 213

5.1. Ethos and the communicative virtues 213

5.1.1 Ethos 213

5.1.2 The communicative virtues 215

5.2 Negotiating identities in intercultural service encounters 219

5.2.1 Forging identities 229

5.3 Standardization and scaffolding 234

5.3.1 Standardization 234

5.3.2 Scaffolding 239.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780826486288

0826486282

0826486290

9780826486295

OCLC:

85691036