Sociolinguistic Metatheory (Language and Communication Library)

This is a study of what defines sociolinguistics as a field, and of how definitions of sociolinguistics relate to the development and application of sociolinguistic theoretical models. It looks in detail at the work of three leading sociolinguists: Dell Hymes, William Labov and John Gumperz, thus giving a general overview of the field while at the same time discussing the larger metatheoretical questions framing their work.