Linguistic Anthropology (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics) [Paperback]

Alessandro Duranti (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521449936 | ISBN-13: 978-0521449939 | Publication Date: September 28, 1997

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.

Editorial Reviews

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 anthropology...the 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 theoretically...it 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

Book Description

Alessandro Duranti introduces linguistic anthropology as an interdisciplinary field which 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 organisation and meaning of conversational structures, and the notion of participation as a unit of analysis. Linguistic Anthropology will appeal to undergraduate and graduate students.

Product Details

• Paperback: 420 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521449936
• ISBN-13: 978-0521449939
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Liked its approach, May 3, 2000

By 

Fax (Tokyo, Suginami-ku Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Linguistic Anthropology (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics) (Paperback)

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.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Language is Power, April 20, 2007

By 

Daniel G. Dybowski (Tempe, Arizona) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Linguistic Anthropology (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics) (Paperback)

I just finished reading Alesandro Duranti's 1997 book for my linguistic anthropology core class. I wanted to take the opportunity here to comment on this book. A. Duranti goes through all of the major theoretical underpinnings and morphological manifestations that the discipline has endured since its inception from the likes of Boas and Sapir in the early 20th century. It has changed and gone through many necessary changes during its lifetime. In order to truly place our finger on the intentions of the "other," we must strive to open a dialogue with the "other" through the practice of speaking, analysis of discourse, and make assumptions based on interpretations to better understand the cultural baggage each one of us carries. This is healthy and natural, and summarizes what it means to be human. Linguistic anthropology taps into human psychology, and the social enterprise in many ways that I have never been able to imagine. A. Duranti eloquently explains linguistic anthropology's rightful place as a science and a discipline worthy of perpetuation in posterity. I sincerely hope others read it in order to assist in this perpetuation of what it means to be human through the practice of speaking.