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SOCIOLINGUISTICS

Introduction This chapter introduces an important field in linguistics which is sociolinguitics . It deals with the realtionships between language and society.It also provides examples of the different linguistic variation : dialect, diglossia, pidgin, and the relation between language variation and ethnicity, nationalism, social status, social solidarity, sex,...etc

I.1 Sociolinguistics and linguistics In general terms, sociolinguistics may be defined as the study of language in relation to society. It has become a thriving area within linguistics since 1960s, and the father of sociolinguistics is claimed to be William Labov. (William Labov (born December 4, 1927) is a professor in the linguistics department of the University of Pennsylvania. He is widely regarded as the founder of the discipline of variationist sociolinguistics and pursues research in sociolinguistics, language change, and dialectology).

Sociolinguistics studies issues like accents, dialects, language change, age, gender, etchnicity, social context, pidgins and creoles, language planning,code-switching and codemixing etc. (Bloomer&Trott:1988).

I.2 SOME USEFUL DEFINITIONS I.2.1 Definition of Society A society is a grouping of individuals, which is characterized by common interests and may have distinctive culture and institutions. In a society, members can be from a different ethnic group. A "Society" may refer to a particular people, such as the Nuer (The Nuer are a confederation of tribes located in Southern Sudan and western Ethiopia. Collectively, the Nuer form one of the largest ethnic groups in East Africa. They are a pastoral peoplewho rely on cattle for almost every aspect of their daily lives) to nation state, such as Switzerland, or to a broader cultural group, such as a Western society. Society can also refer to an organized group of people associated together for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes I.2.2 Definition of Social class

IT refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. Anthropologists, historians and sociologists identify class as universal, although what determines class varies widely from one society to another. Even within a society, different people or groups may have very different ideas about what makes one "high" or "low" in the hierarchy. The most basic class distinction between the two groups is between the powerful and the powerless. Social classes with more power usually subordinate classes with less power, while attempting to cement their own power positions in society. Social classes with a great deal of power

are usually viewed as elites, at least within their own societies.

qualification) that assure that the person is qualified to perform a job or task.
-income:personal, household and per capita wealth or net worth, including the ownership of land, property, means of production, Those who can attain a position of power in a society will often adopt distinctive lifestyles to emphasize their prestige and to further rank themselves within the powerful class. Often the adoption of these stylistic traits are as important as one's wealth in determining class status, at least at the higher levels: costume and grooming -manners and cultural refinement. For example, there is a with a distinction between bourgeois tastes and sensitivities and the working class tastes and sensitivities. -political standing vis--vis the church, government, and/or social clubs, as well as the use of honorary titles -reputation of honor or disgrace -language : the distinction between elaborate code, which is seen as a criterion for "upperclass", and the restricted code, which is associated with "lower classes" notion of high and low classes

Finally, fluid notions such as race can have widely varying degrees of influence on class standing. Having characteristics of a particular ethnic group may improve one's class status in many societies. However, what is considered "racially superior" in one society can often be exactly the opposite in another.

In the simplest societies, power is closely linked to the ability to assert one's status through physical strength; thus age, gender, and physical health delineators of class in rudimentary tribes. As societies expand and become more complex, economic power replaces physical power as the defender of the class status quo, so that one's class is determined largely by: -Occupation ( profession) ,education ( teaching and learnng specific skills) , qualifications (professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation (often called simply certification or are often common

Language and Social Inferences

A social event can be represented linguistically in a great variety of different ways. For instance, we can talk about a specic act of economic transaction by using one of a number of interpersonal verbs (to buy, to sell, to pay, to purchase, etc.). The very same act can