Cambridge Scholars Publishing Text, Context and Construction of Identity

Product Description Language is central to our existence and it happens to be the most sophisticated product of the human mind. It is inconceivable to think of ourselves, our societies, our ideas, cultures or identities without language. It is the primary means of socialization, and whatever we know is a result of it. It is the primary medium of construction and dissemination of knowledge, and structures our thought processes in important ways that constitute our identity. In very complex ways, it interacts with the social, political and economic power structures that remain significant in defining the identities of individuals and societies. The essays in this volume create an awareness and understanding about the role of linguistic context in negotiating identity. The book explains identity and the complex relations between language and several aspects of our society. It explores identity through text and context, and will serve to trigger a novel discourse around the centrality of identity in contemporary society. About the Author Rajesh Kumar teaches Linguistics in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and received his PhD in Linguistics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. His publications include Syntax of Negation and Licensing of Negative Polarity Items, as well as several journal articles. The broad goal of his research is to uncover regularities underlying both the form (what language is) and sociolinguistic functions (what language does) of natural languages. Om Prakash teaches courses in the areas of Applied Linguistics, English Language Teaching, Communication Theories in Media, and Corporate Communication in Humanities and Social Sciences at Gautam Buddha University, India. He received his MA, MPhil, and PhD degrees in Linguistics from the University of Delhi, India. He has published a number of articles in both national and international journals. His broader areas of research include emerging fields in applied linguistics and the interface of language, media and contemporary society.