Sociolinguistics

Sociolinguistics is the study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context, on the way language is used. It also studies how dialects differ between groups separated by certain social variables, e.g., ethnicity, religion, economic status, level of education, etc. Creation and adherance to these rules is a useful way to categorize individuals in social class or socio-econmic classes.

For example Black English Vernacular or Pidgin would not be considered appropriate language use in a business or professional setting. The study of language variation is concerned with social constraints determining language in its contextual environment.

Further Reading

• The Language War, Robin Tolmach Lakoff, University of California Press, Berkeley, California, 2000, hardcover, 322 pages, ISBN 0-520-21666-0