Sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics is an interdisciplinary science that studies the way in which elements of society influence languages and communication styles. It includes aspects of sociology and linguistics as well as anthropology and psychology. Sociolinguists take a historical look at how societies have influenced languages in the past as well as analyzing … Keep Reading → current societies. Common areas of study include how certain language patterns are associated with specific groups. An example would be the common language attributes than American teenagers have shown. This can be looked at across a span of time to compare how teenagers were communicating fifty years ago versus today. The influence of hip hop music for example has influenced teenagers in all geographical areas; including many who have never seen or experienced the urban environments that inspired much of the music. Sociolinguistics examines the entire process of why and how language differs across societal boundaries.
