Demographic and Socioeconomic Basis of Ethnolinguistics

Description

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. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxiii Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 Basic Concepts, and Overview of Sources, Quality of Data, and Methods (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 3-35 The Language of Demography and Sociolinguistics (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 37-55 Ethnicity, and Language as an Ethnic Identifier (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 57-93 Front Matter ....Pages 95-95 Language Inquiries in U.S. Censuses, National Sample Surveys, and Other Collection Instruments (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 97-113 Measurement of Language Use and Language Proficiency, and Literacy and Its Analysis (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 115-152 Language as a Factor in the Quality of Demographic Data and Translation Issues in the Management of Surveys (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 153-183 Sociolinguistic Characteristics of the Population of the United States (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 185-241 Front Matter ....Pages 243-243 International Demographic Situation and Its Linguistic Associations (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 245-298 Ethnolinguistic Communities, Ethnolinguistic Conflict, and Other Conflict Situations (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 299-341 Front Matter ....Pages 343-343 Demographic and Socioeconomic Differences in Linguistic Behavior (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 345-374 Demographic Processes Applied to Languages and Language-Defined Populations (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 375-426 Migration and Language Change (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 427-484 Prospective Changes in National Populations and Language-Defined Populations, and Projection Methods (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 485-506 Front Matter ....Pages 507-507 Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics of Persons with Language–Use Limitations, and Special Languages (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 509-547 Some Sociolinguistic Characteritics of Premodern Societies and Modern Indigenous Societies (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 549-570 Front Matter ....Pages 571-571 Limited Language Proficiency and Its Consequences (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 573-603 Linguistic Proficiency and Acculturation: Role of Family, Neighborhood, and Metropolitan Area (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 605-624 Language, Language Planning, and U.S. Public Policy (Jacob S. Siegel)....Pages 625-674 Back Matter ....Pages 675-719