Wiley-Blackwell Linguistic Anthropology: A Reader (Wiley Blackwell Anthologies in Social and Cultural Anthropology)

Linguistic Anthropology: A Reader is a comprehensive collection of the best work that has been published in this exciting and growing area of anthropology, and is organized to provide a guide to key issues in the study of language as a cultural resource and speaking as a cultural practice. Revised and updated, this second edition contains eight new articles on key subjects, including speech communities, the power and performance of language, and narrativesSelections are both historically oriented and thematically coherent, and are accessibly grouped according to four major themes: speech community and communicative competence; the performance of language; language socialization and literacy practices; and the power of languageAn extensive introduction provides an original perspective on the development of the field and highlights its most compelling issuesEach section includes a brief introductory statement, sets of guiding questions, and list of recommended readings on the main topics Review "Alessandro Duranti has succeeded in compiling an excellent reader that many instructors and students will find useful as an introduction to key works in linguistic anthropology. Leaders in the theory and practice of contemporary linguistic anthropology are well represented, and all of the articles are excellent; indeed, most are recognized as contemporary "classics" in the field. This reader is an excellent addition to the growing library of readers in linguistic anthropology and a valuable new resource for both students and teachers." (Current Anthropology [from 1st edition]) "Many of the articles included...are examples of highly innovative scholarly work on issues of language related to culture. It provides an excellent (and long overdue) discussion of terminology, American lingustic anthropology's development within Cultural Anthropology, its subsequent drift away from anthropology towards an independent discipline increasingly focused on theoretical anthropologists in the late 1960s, and its reestablishment as a subfield of anthropology in the 1980s-90s. As a textbook this reader makes a very useful teaching aid, as a source book it provides valuable insights into the discipline of linguistic anthropology." (Linguist List) Review "Another stellar contribution from a leading linguistic anthropologist who is also the field's foremost anthologist and textbook author. The updated readings, editorial framing, and appended study-questions are excellent throughout." –Alan Rumsey, Australian National University "This new volume reflects the vibrancy of work in linguistic anthropology, and will be an indispensable teaching resource for language and culture courses of many different kinds." –Penelope Brown, Max Plank Institute for Psycholinguistics"This revised edition of Duranti's text provides an indispensable introduction to the vibrant field of linguisic anthopology. Duranti provides conceptual vocabulary and ethnographic exemplars for the complex multiplicity of language as a social activity, ranging from relatively isolated small-scale societies to speech communities within contemporary American society." –Regna Darnell, University of Western Ontario"Framed by an excellent historical introduction, Duranti's reader provides students and scholars alike with a sophisticated yet accessible introduction to the range of topics and approaches that make up modern linguistic anthropology. The readings, linked by concise and thoughtful introductions, include a judicious mix of classic articles and new research. This collection should provide a definitive vision for linguistic anthropology for a long time to come." –Bradd Shore, Emory University"Very well organized and selected, and thus an excellent teaching resource, this reader provides perspective on the coherence of linguistic anthropology as a field. It can also be flexibly tailored to bring a linguistic approach to most arenas of topical interest