Language and Identity: National, Ethnic, Religious

by John E. Joseph

Offering a uniquely broad-based overview of the role of language choice in the construction of national, ethnic and religious identity, this textbook examines a wide range of specific cases from various parts of the world in order to arrive at some general principles concerning the links between language and identity. It will benefit students and researchers in a wide range of fields where identity is an important issue and who currently lack a single source to turn to for an overview of sociolinguistics.

Genres: Language, Linguistics, Nonfiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[الشناوي محمد جبر · Rating 1 out of 5]

كتاب صعب في موضوعه ومادته وليس من السهل هضمه، يتحدث عن اللغة ودورها في تحديد هوية الفرد وتحديد شخصيته الدولية والعالمية، ويتحدث عن دور اللغة وتطورها، ودورها في تحديد الهويات القومية، وضرب الكاتب مثال لذلك: في جزيرة هونج كونج التي اختارت لغة إنجليزية تخالف الانجليزية البريطانية كنحدد لهويتها المستقلة عن بريطانيا والصين، كذلك دراسة هوية المسلم والمسيحي في لبنان والتي حدثت بينهما حرب طائفية طويلة شديدة القسوة.

[Vica Katona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to give this book a 5/5, because I learned so much. It is scientific but still relatively easy to read, not overfilled with scientific data and terminology. A lot of language philosophy, nation building, some history, social identity... And then I reached the last chapter (the one about Lebanon – or not?) and I started to hate it. That chapter also starts off very well, really informative, but then it looks like the author got drunk or something, it takes such a detour of its original topic, there are 2 subchapters about some dude which don't have almost anything to do with the proposed theme of the chapter as suggested by the chapter title and it is just... Way, way, way too long. And then, compared to that, the closing 1-2 pages of the chapter are very sudden, short and weird. There was a time where I didn't know what I was reading.
I can only forgive that weird side-tracked babbling (kind of looks like the dude really wanted to prove a point he has been thinking about for years but never had the right medium/book for it and now could finally do it, even if it is not fitting, and I restate, disproportionately long) because the rest of the book is great.

[Hermione Laake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a useful and wide-ranging study of language, its social significance and impact, its relationship with religion and its influence on identify. When you are answerable[...] to [yourself] [...] Identify is deep and unchanging (p. 221). I think Amin Maalouf's story challenges the concept of binary identities. It is not unlike the story of Dances with Wolves. Shakespeare summed it up thus, 'to thyself be true, you cannot then be false to any man'.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was written by one of my profs at the University of Edinburgh. The diction is definitely dense at times, but the payout is an in-depth analysis of various issues related to language and identity - as pertinent today as when the book was written. Highly recommended even for those that do not have a background in linguistics.

[محمد عبادة · Rating 5 out of 5]

الاستعراض التاريخي الپانورامي لنظريات علاقة اللغة بالهُوِيّة، والبحثان الميدانيان الواردان بالكتاب، كلها رائعة وكاشفة. كتاب ملهِم على أكثر من صعيد، وأظنُّه مشبعًا جدًا للنهَم المعرفي لدى كل المهتمّين بعلم اللغة الاجتماعي بصِفَتِه علمًا مهتمًّا أولاً بمبحث الهُوِيّة.

[وجيه السمان · Rating 3 out of 5]

الكتاب ثقيل .. لكنه من الأهمية بمكان ..
الصعوبة واجهتني باللغة الأكاديمية التي كتب بها..
لكن الفصول الأخيرة كانت جميلة جداً.

[Aligroof · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone who have an interest in Linguistics and social studies should have a look at this book. It has some original ideas. The book isn't complicated academic book, it's a fun read.