Linguistic Anthropology (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 420 pages
• Published by: Cambridge University Press September 28, 1997
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0521449936
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0521449939
• Book Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Weighs: 1.4 pounds

Product Review
"Once in a while a book is published that defines and shapes the content of a discipline. Duranti's Linguistic Antrhopology is one of those books. Rooted in a profound knowledge of historical and current scholarship in both linguistics and anthropologythe author's discourse provides a clear manifesto for linguistic anthropology as a full-grown discipline of its own. instructors for linguistic anthropology classes will find this book extremely valuable. I know of no other text that is so well -documented about issues, theories, and methods in linguistic anthropology both synchronically and diachronically. the book is very coherent theoreticallyit proposes a clear, distinctive way of doing linguistic anthropology. anybody who intends to conduct research in this discipline will find this to be an extremely valuable resource. " Giovanni Bennardo, American Anthropology

"Linguistic anthropology should be of great help in opening up this dynamic branch of research to a broader audience." language in Society

Product Description
Alessandro Duranti introduces linguistic anthropology as an interdisciplinary field that studies language as a cultural resource and speaking as a cultural practice. The theories and methods of linguistic anthropology are introduced through a discussion of linguistic diversity, grammar in use, the role of speaking in social interaction, the organization and meaning of conversational structures, and the notion of participation as a unit of analysis. Linguistic Anthropology will appeal to undergraduate and graduate students.

Reader Reviews
Reading this book I felt Duranti to be less of a linguist and more of an anthropologist--which I found to be a useful approach, giving quite a different perspective on the field than, for example, William Foley's book of similar title. Especially interesting were the sections on fieldwork methodology and ethics, a topic which I haven't seen covered in other books on linguistic anthropology. However, some of the linguistic stuff could have been explained in more detail, and Duranti doesn't include as much on recent perspectives as some others.