Demographic and Socioeconomic Basis of Ethnolinguistics

This book presents a description and analysis of sociolinguistics written from a demographer¿s perspective. It synthesizes the data on the materials, methods, and issues of this interdisciplinary field, pulling together the scattered materials published in this area into a coherent whole. Drawing on a wide range of sciences in addition to demography and sociolinguistics, including sociology, anthropology, statistics, psychology, neuroscience, and public policy, the book treats theoretical and applied issues, links methods and substantive findings, covers both national and international materials, and provides prehistorical, historical, and contemporary illustrations. The book treats the theoretical issue of how the language we use develops socially on a base of linguistic genetic capacity and the practical issue of how the intervention of the state and public figures may profoundly alter the natural evolution of the language. As such, this book will appeal to a wide range of users, from students to teachers and practitioners of social demography, sociolinguistics, cultural anthropology, and particularly to those social scientists interested in ethnic studies and human migration.

Details how demographic variables influence linguistic variation, change, and distribution

Preface and Acknowledgments: Part I. INTRODUCTION: GENERAL SOURCES AND METHODS, AND CONCEPTS OF POPULATION, LANGUAGE, AND ETHNICITY.- 1. Basic Concepts, and Overview of Sources, Quality of Data, and Methods.- 2. The Language of Demography and Sociolinguistics.- 3. Ethnicity, and Language as an Ethnic Identifier.- Part II. UNITED STATES EXPERIENCE.- 4. Language Inquiries in U.S. Censuses, National Sample Surveys, and Other Collection Instruments.- 5. Measurement of Language Use and Language Proficiency, and Literacy and Its Analysis.- 6. Language as a Factor in the Quality of Demographic Data and Translation Issues in the Management of Surveys.- 7. Sociolinguistic Characteristics of the Population of the United States.- Part III. INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE.- 8. International Demographic Situation and its Linguistic Associations.- 9. Ethnolinguistic Communities, Ethnolinguistic Conflict, and Other Conflict Situations.- Part IV. DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCE3S IN LINGUISTIC BEHAVIOR AND DEMOGRAPHIC PROCESSES APPLIED TO LANGUAGES.- 10. Demographic and Socioeconomic Differences in Linguistic Behavior.- 11. Demographic Processes Applied to Languages and Language-Defined Populations.- 12. Migration and Language Change.- 13. Prospective Changes in National Populations and Language-Defined Populations, and Projections Methods.- V. SPECIAL LANGUAGE GROUPS.- 14. Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics of Persons with Language-Use Limitations; and Special Languages.- 15. Some Sociolinguistic Characteristics of Premodern Societies and Modern Indigenous Societies.- Part VI. Some policy and practical applications.- 16. Limited Language Proficiency and its Consequences.- 17. Linguistic Proficiency and Acculturation: Role of Family, Neighborhood, and Metropolitan Area.- 18 Language and U.S. Public Policy.- Glossary.- Subject Index.