ISSN online: 2221-1616

Bulletin of the Institute of Sociology (Vestnik instituta sotziologii)

Research Article

Мария М Макушева , associate of other organizaiton, ,
mailto: makushevam@gmail.com
The knowledge field of languages sociology.
Vestnik instituta sotziologii. 2012. Vol. 3. No. 2. P. 216-228


This Article is downloaded: 834 times
Topic: Language and social transformations

For citation:
Макушева М. О. The knowledge field of languages sociology. Vestnik instituta sotziologii. 2012. Vol. 3. No. 2. P. 216-228


Abstract

The article outlines the prospects for cross-disciplinary research at the intersection of sociology and sociolinguistics and provides a framework for analyzing language problems in sociology. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the methodological significance of using linguistic data in a sociological study. The definition of language in sociology is given, possible research topics are presented. The language in sociology can be understood as part of a culture of society that provides individuals and groups with a conceptual apparatus for conveying and interpreting information, and also symbolically representing the typical and significant experience of social actors. The connection between the social structure of a group, its activities and language naturally follows from the functional understanding of language as an instrument that adapts itself to public needs. A significant subject for analysis is the representation of groups in the language of normative-value systems. Within the framework of the sociological theory, speech can be defined as social practice, that is, on the one hand, as a set of norms regulating and structuring the use of language for different subjects in a social situation; on the other hand, as a process of such use, the implementation of practices that already exist. In general, the study of speech in its social variability is the main subject of sociolinguistics, therefore, it is here that the main body of data has been accumulated and a number of conclusions interesting for sociology have been made. The difference between sociology and sociolinguistics lies in the focus of the researcher’s interest. If it consists in deeper understanding of a social phenomenon by referring to its linguistic representation, then this is a sociological study using the data of the language used. The central thesis of the direction that studies the social differentiation of language can be formulated as follows: linguistic variables are connected with social variables, and this connection is not accidental, but regular and consistent. At the intersection of the indicated topics occupying the entire complex of social and humanitarian sciences, there is the problem of the sociology of language, which can be formulated as knowledge of social structures fixed in the language and speech practices.

Keywords

language, speech, social group, social status, social structure, social practice, socialization

References

 1. Abelʹs KH. Interaktsiya, identichnostʹ, prezentatsiya. Vvedenie v interpretativnuyu sotsiologiyu [Interaction, identity, presentation. Introduction to interpretive sociology]. Saint Petersburg, Aleteyya, 2000 (in Russ.).

 2. Alpatov V. N. Voloshinov, Bakhtin i lingvistik [Voloshinov, Bakhtin and Linguistics]. Moscow, Izdatelʹstvo, 2005 (in Russ.).

 3. Bart R. Izbrannye raboty: Semiotika: Poehtika [Selected Works: Semiotics: Poetics]. Moscow, Progress, 1989 (in Russ.).

 4. Bakhtin M. M. Problema rechevykh zhanrov [The Problem of Speech Genres]. Bakhtin M. M. Sobr. soch. Moscow, Izdatelʹstvo, 1996, pp. 159-206 (in Russ.).

 5. Berger P., Lukman T. Sotsialʹnoe konstruirovanie realʹnosti. Traktat po sotsiologii znaniya [Social construction of reality. A Treatise on the Sociology of Knowledge]. Moscow, Medium, 1995 (in Russ.).

 6. Burdʹyo P. O proizvodstve i vosproizvodstve legitimnogo yazyka [On the production and reproduction of a legitimate language]. Ehlektronnaya versiya zhurnala «Otechestvennye zapiski», 2005, no 2. URL: http://www.strana-oz.ru/?numid=23&article=1040 [date of visit: 11.03.2012] (in Russ.).

 7. Burdʹyo P. Prakticheskiy smysl [Practical meaning]. Saint Petersburg, Aleteyya, 2001 (in Russ.).

 8. Burdʹyo P. Razlichenie: sotsialʹnaya kritika suzhdeniya [Distinction: social criticism of judgment]. Ehkonomicheskaya sotsiologiya, 2005, № 3, T. 6, pp. 25–48 (in Russ.).

 9. Gamperts Dzh. Tipy yazykovykh obshchestv [Types of language societies]. Novoe v lingvistike. Release VII, Sotsiolingvistika. Moscow, 1975 (in Russ.).

 10. Giddens E. Ustroenie obshchestva: ocherk teorii strukturatsii [The organization of society: an outline of the theory of structure]. Moscow, Akademicheskiy Proekt, 2005 (in Russ.).

 11. Karasik V. I. Yazykovoy krug: lichnostʹ, kontsepty, diskurs [Language Circle: Personality, Concepts, Discourse]. Moscow, Gnozis, 2004 (in Russ.).

 12. Lakoff Dzh., Dzhonson M. Metafory, kotorymi my zhivem [The metaphors that we live in. Metaphors that we live in]. Moscow, Ehditorial URSS, 2004 (in Russ.).

 13. Lakoff Dzh. Zhenshchiny, ogonʹ i opasnye veshchi: Chto kategorii yazyka govoryat nam o myshlenii [Women, fire and dangerous things: What categories of language tell us about thinking]. Moscow, Yazyki slavyanskikh kulʹtur, 2004 (in Russ.).

 14. Lakoff Dzh. Lingvisticheskie geshtalʹty [Linguistic gestalt]. Novoe v zarubezhnoy lingvistike. Vypusk X. Lingvisticheskaya semantika. Moscow, 1981 (in Russ.).

 15. Lakoff Dzh. Myshlenie v zerkale klassifikatorov [Thinking in a classifier mirror]. Novoe v zarubezhnoy lingvistike. Vypusk XXIII. Kognitivnye aspekty yazyka. Moscow, 1988 (in Russ.).

 16. Luriya A. R. Yazyk i soznanie [Language and consciousness]. Moscow, Izdatelʹstvo MGU, 1979 (in Russ.).

 17. Mid Dzh. G. Izbrannoe: Sb. perevodov [Selected: Collection of translations]. Moscow, INION RAN, 2009 (in Russ.).

 18. Parsons T. O strukture sotsialʹnogo deystviya [On the structure of social action]. Moscow, Akademicheskiy Proekt, 2000.

 19. Sepir E. Izbrannye trudy po yazykoznaniyu i kulʹturologii [Selected works on linguistics and culturology]. Moscow, Izdatelʹstvo, 1993 (in Russ.).

 20. Sovremennye teorii diskursa: mulʹtidistsiplinarnyy analiz (Seriya «Diskursologiya») [Modern discourse theories: multidisciplinary analysis (Series "Discourse")]. Ekaterinburg, Izdatelʹskiy Dom «Diskurs-Pi», 2006 (in Russ.).

 21. Fisher Dzh. Sintaksis i sotsialʹnaya struktura: Truk i Ponape [Syntax and social structure: Truk and Ponape]. Novoe v lingvistike, Release VII, Sotsiolingvistika. Moscow, 1975 (in Russ.).

 22. Khayms D. Dva tipa lingvisticheskoy otnositelʹnosti [Two types of linguistic relativity]. Novoe v lingvistike, Release VII. Sotsiolingvistika. Moscow, 1975 (in Russ.).

 23. Khayms D. Ehtnografiya rechi [Ethnography of speech]. Novoe v lingvistike. Release VII, Sotsiolingvistika. Moscow, 1975 (in Russ.).

 24. Titts S., Koehn L., Masson D. Yazyk organizatsiy. Interpretatsiya sobytiy i sozdanie znacheniy [Language of organizations. Interpreting events and creating values]. Kharʹkov: Gumanitarnyy tsentr, 2008 (in Russ.).

 25. Bernstein B. Class, codes and control. Volume I. Theoretical studies toward a sociology of language. London, Rutledge, 2003.

 26. Fairclough N. Analysing Discourse: Textual Analysis for Social Research. London, Rutledge, 2003.

 27. Searle J. The Construction of Social Reality. Romanova A. Referativnyy per. s angl. 1999. Ehlektronnyy istochnik. URL: http://psyberlink.flogiston.ru/internet/bits/searle.htm [date of visit: 11.03.2012] (in Russ.).