From its beginnings in the 1960s, sociolinguistics developed several different subfields with distinct methods and interests: the variationist tradition established by Labov, the anthropological tradition of Hymes, interactional sociolinguistics as developed by Gumperz, and the sociology of language represented by the work of Fishman. All of these areas have seen a great deal of growth in recent decades, and recent studies have led to a more broadly inclusive view of sociolinguistics. Hence there is a need for a handbook that will survey the main areas of the field, point out the lacunae in our existing knowledge base, and provide directions for future research.
The Oxford Handbook of Sociolinguistics will differ from existing work in four major respects. First, it will emphasize new methodological developments, particularly the convergence of linguistic anthropology and variationist sociolinguistics. Second, it will include chapters on sociolinguistic developments in areas of the world that have been relatively neglected in the major journals. Third, its chapters are written by contributors who have worked in a range of languages and whose work addresses sociolinguistic issues in bi- and multilingual contexts, i.e. the contexts in which a majority of the world's population lives. Finally, it will include substantial material on the rapidly growing study of sign language sociolinguistics.
Industry Reviews
"The...handbook benefits from the fact that all of the authors are outstanding scholars who are extremely well known in their respective areas of expertise... [G]raduate students who are interested in sociolinguistic studies are most likely to benefit from reading this handbook in its entirety, because the editors have taken great care to account for a combination of theoretical and practical insights regarding studies of language in social contexts."
--Language
"The Handbook is an excellent volume, with content that nobody wih an interest in the field can afford to ignore. Its structure is comprehensive and innovative... It is a what-how-to-why-and-where-do-we-go-from-here kind of volume which is both erudite and accessible. The breadth, as well as the depth, of what it covers makes it suitable... for various audiences... This handbook will, I believe, remain relevant for years to come and both the editors
and Oxford University Press should be applauded for the endeavor." --English Today
"The Oxford Handbook of Sociolinguistics [is] an invaluable new contribution to the field of sociolinguistics, as it presents the interdisciplinary development of this field over the past decades. While it certainly stands out for its careful organization of abundant material, it must be especially praised for the special attention given to relevant topics that pertain to modern-day social preoccupations. In this sense, it will no doubt inspire those
in the field to further their research. In a classroom setting, it would serve as an engaging academic tool for an overall introduction to the growing field of sociolinguistics. In sum, this handbook is a unique
and welcomed addition to the Oxford Handbook collection, which already include studies in the areas of Applied Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Comparative Syntax, Compositionality, Language Evolution, Linguistic Analysis, Linguistic Minimalism, Translation Studies, and Linguistic Typology." -- Linguist List
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