In this textbook, first published in 1997, Alessandro Duranti introduces linguistic anthropology as an interdisciplinary field which studies language as a cultural resource and speaking as a cultural practice. The theories and methods of linguistic anthropology are introduced through a discussion of linguistic diversity, grammar in use, the role of speaking in social interaction, the organisation and meaning of conversational structures, and the notion of participation as a unit of analysis. An entire chapter is devoted to the notion of culture, and there are invaluable methodological chapters on ethnography and transcription. Original in its treatment and yet eminently clear and readable, Linguistic Anthropology will appeal to both upper-level undergraduate and graduate students.

‘Once in a while a book is published that defines and shapes the content of a discipline, Duranti’s Anthropology is one of those books.’

Source: Linguistic Anthropology