Publisher's Synopsis
Starting from the premise that interpersonal communication is inseparable from culture, this collection moves beyond traditional approaches to the subject by foregrounding the ways in which interpersonal relationships emerge through culturally mediated language practices. Drawing on ethnographic material, A Cultural Approach to Interpersonal Communication introduces students to the rich and varied communicative practices of social communities around the world. Readings explore interpersonal interactions in an internationally diverse range of settings, such as the use of slang in California high schools, the application of sign language in a church for the Deaf, Tuareg greetings in the Sahara, everyday verbal encounters on American city streets, the speech of male rugby players in New Zealand, and the language of aggression among Mississippi girls. This engaging and innovative volume also provides sample assignments that will give students the conceptual and practical tools to develop their own ethnographic research on language practices.
