Sociolinguistics - Glyn Williams

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.