DESCRIPTION

In recent years the concept of style, which has long been central to sociolinguistics, has developed in exciting new directions. This course examines the various ways in which style has been theorized and investigated in sociolinguistics and related fields. We will begin by exploring the basic "elements of style": what constitutes a style, whether in linguistics or in other domains? We then examine the relationship between style and similar linguistic concepts like register, genre, and dialect, exploring two primary ways that style has been conceptualized as a sociolinguistic phenomenon: as language use tied to social situations and as language use tied to social identity or persona. Finally, we will consider how styles are constructed, circulated, and evaluated in social interaction. The course draws together the perspectives of quantitative and qualitative sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, and discourse analysis to offer a comprehensive view of how style is conceptualized and analyzed in contemporary scholarship.

 PREREQUISITES

A previous course in sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, and/or socially oriented discourse analysis is recommended but not required.