Sociology Definition of the Week: Sociolinguistics

Language and social interaction have a reciprocal relationship: language shapes social interactions and social interactions shape language. Language is central to social interaction in every society, regardless of location and time period. Sociolinguistics is the study of the connection between language and society and the way people use language in different social situations. It asks the question, "How does language affect the social nature of human beings, and how does social interaction shape language?" Read more about sociolinguistics, including the questions that researchers are asking.