Sociology of language

The sociology of language is a sub-discipline of sociology, which describes the relationship between language and society. It is investigated what influence does the language on society and vice versa.

• 3.1 Niklas Luhmann
• 3.2 Jürgen Habermas
• 3.3 John R. Searle

Difficult definition

The term sociology of language can only be described a difficult precisely to distinguish sub-discipline of sociology. Language and Sociology are from the outset in a close relationship, which is also a voltage ratio. Communication takes place within social contexts to a large extent language instead, and if the sociology communications examined - in which part of the area of ​​their own whatsoever - it is in many cases the Sociology of Language. A sociology of knowledge about is unthinkable without language- sociological basis. Therefore, as different concepts and theories such as Luhmann's systems theory, Aaron V. Cicourels empirical approach or the later phenomenology of Alfred Schutz can not do without language-related theoretical considerations, the theories of many sociologists are built around the relation of the social to the language. What is tried as a specific language sociology sometimes delineate shows apart from the diversity of the mainly with the language apart translated sociological text material rather artificial features.

In the history of science, the nature of language as a central means of communication of the people has an effect in that very different sciences and disciplines for the language of interest, while also claiming a right to the language. Linguistics, sociolinguistics, communication studies and sociology of language share the language as the main object. Sub-disciplines of linguistics such as semantic or semiology ( semiotics ) appear both in the discussion of the language into how linguistic history or literary studies and literary sociological work. Here, the approaches as well as the perspectives overlap. A central theme, the language was therefore made ​​in very different contexts and by people with very different backgrounds and stories.

Methodologically, the defeated reflected in the development of a variety of methods, apparatus, which in turn makes use of many individual sciences and the creative integration of first -disciplinary foreign theories and techniques ultimately is interdisciplinary. Discourse analysis, language analysis, text analysis, content analysis, semantic analysis and other techniques are used in conjunction spoke sociological problems.

Again and again the Sociology of Language and Sociolinguistics be equated. In fact, the differences are often only terminological or depending on the discursive frame of reference, but similar issues are handled.

The following references to individual theories therefore satisfy two criteria. Once there are theories that see themselves as specific sociological self. In addition, and therefore they distinguish themselves clearly from other scientific discourses from - although it is often advocated for a strong interdisciplinary collaboration.

Theoretical approaches

Alfred Schutz

Originally Austrian, then American sociologist and philosopher who emigrated because of National Socialism in the United States of America, continually dealt with spoke sociological problems. He is now regarded as the founder of phenomenological sociology. The circles of his thinking about the intersubjectivity problem that Edmund Husserl had in his opinion not sufficiently solved, Alfred Schutz has repeatedly led to language. Still from the interwar period dates a manuscript known as the voice work today. The resulting later lectures on the sociology of language have been reconstructed from notes taken by students and emerged earlier than the central attachment icon, reality and society. Contactor observed the structuring role of language in maintaining intersubjective bonds between people. Language is it a prerequisite of society.

Torgny T. Segerstedt

Segerstedts work, The Power of the Word. A sociology of language was translated into German in 1947, precisely in the year, because the author was appointed the first Professor of Sociology in Uppsala. The book follows a critically - behaviorist approach and attempts to describe the entanglement of psychology and sociology in the phenomenon of language. After introductory sections on language as a social phenomenon and social norms, the author describes building the language, and it works its way from the simple According to a theory of sign and symbol in front. The book concludes with a chapter on the role of language, are brought together with a theory of social cohesion in the single sociological terms ( [ in German translation from 1947 translated with traffic ] group, social control, communication).

Fritz Schütze

In the more than 1,000 page book language sociologically seen goes Fritz shooter based on the assumption that the language not only has a basic function for the constitution of social action and for the emergence of social structures, as conversely speaking of social structural factors is affected. To sociolinguistic After a comprehensive delineation and the philosophy of language theories, their blind spots to be worked out in terms of a sociological basis theory developed contactors extremtypologisches model of the constitution of the contribution of language for social reality, which contributes to the understanding of the influence of language on power and domination structures. On the assumption of an egalitarian basis structure of linguistic action the sociological description of the language is being prepared as a medium.

Aaron V. Cicourel

With frequent reference to philosophical and linguistic texts Aaron Victor Cicourel emphasizes the centrality of language for a sociological theory of meaning and culture. He studied under a clear delineation of these theories, as far as they can be harnessed for a sociological theory.

Eugen Rosenstock- Huessy

Rosenstock- Huessy tries to prove that his own method for the social sciences can be found whose foundations lies in the patterns of the language. He developed this grammatical method based on its historical and sociological work. A summary essay, published in 1969 under the title Speech and Reality at Argo Books, Norwich VT;

In the first volume of his sociology, he states: "the present is therefore recognized as a force field, project into the future and the past, because something has been pronounced. " That man speaks and that is spoken of, is the basis of his social existence. " All vorgrammatische sociology ignores her subject and remains social physics, that is a misunderstanding. "

Relatives and metatheory

Language as a social phenomenon is set centrally in sociological theories that can not be understood as sociology of language alone, the more can be said metatheory for sociological considerations, however. In this context, on Niklas Luhmmans system theoretical approach and on Jürgen Habermas ' theory of communicative action to point. The works of both thinkers are centered around the phenomenon of human communication and therefore often deal and at key points in very different contexts with language.

Niklas Luhmann

Niklas Luhmann's systems theory approach is not designed as a Sociology of Language. Such a designation would certainly be an unacceptable shortening of his theory. An emphatic reference to the sociologist is unavoidable because of the frequency spoke sociological themes in his work. Language is the main medium for structural coupling of social and psychological systems in Luhmann. Operations and last elements of social systems are communications. In one of the central works of Luhmann, namely, in the company of the Company, located approximately one chapter to find language that examines the relationship between language and sociological systems theory. There, the central meaning of the term semantics is clear. For Niklas Luhmann referred to deviation from the linguistic theory of meaning worthy of preservation sense premises within a social system.

Luhmann borders the sociological examination of the language as part of its system of linguistic theory explicitly those approaches. The language is it not a system but a medium. This means that there are no separate operations of the language, as it exists only systems in the operations of the mental ( thoughts) and social ( communication ). Therefore, according to Luhmann, a social theory must be based on the communications and not of the language.

Jürgen Habermas

Jürgen Habermas ' theory of communicative action provides the normative foundations of society in the language and that has an impact at the Sociology of Language.

John R. Searle

Searle sat in detail the construction of social reality through language apart. On the basis of a theory of speech acts, the philosopher turned to John L. Austin studying the everyday language similar.

History of Science

The sociology of language is the history of science is basically a limited occurring phenomenon of the first half of the 20th century, whose subject is so extensive that a specifically language- sociological discourse (no longer) comes about because in the postwar period, the central questions of this sociological sub-region already from a differentiated complex had been taken up by academic disciplines and areas of expertise. One indication of the quiet demise of the Sociology of Language is about the fact that she has disappeared from the textbooks and university curricula as a special sociology more or less. Significantly in this context ( particularly for the German -speaking area ) probably also the fact that this section has been renamed Sociology of Language of the German Society for Sociology in section sociology of knowledge.

The first is ausdifferenzierende sociology was based on philosophical texts and programs that seemed to be demanded in sociology is a specialized use of language. The Sociology of Language in the German language arises as in Alfred Schutz against the background of the works of Henri Bergson and Edmund Husserl, while Aaron V. Cicourel and about Rolf Wiggershaus were strongly influenced by the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein.

As part of a scientific history of sociology should also not be overlooked that already Émile Durkheim saw the importance of language for a sociological theory. The linguist Roman Jakobson writes: "One can recall Durkheim's notion of the ever-increasing superiority of linguistics among the social sciences and to his father's admonition to develop a sociology of language. " Jakobson refers in this connection to Harry Alpert's book Emile Durkheim and His Sociology, the he has probably taken the reference to this admonition. Thomas Luckmann has accordingly suggest that Durkheim Antoine Meillet could win as linguistic speakers for their participation in his journal L' Année Sociologique.

Thomas Luckmann, who published his Sociology of Language ( Sociology of Language) both in English and in German, but it can already be seen as a later point in talking sociological discourse. He supported himself in his work to a specifically German tradition which appealed to Wilhelm von Humboldt and drew a line to Alfred Schutz. Hubert Knoblauch emphasizes in his account of the development of the sociology of language, that there was a differentiation of sociolinguistics and sociology of language in the course of the seventies.

A few years after Luckmann's book Fritz published his work Sagittarius language - sociologically seen, marking another significant point in the history of the sociology of language. The book promoted primarily a swing of quantitative to qualitative methods in the sociology of language.

The term sociology of language was - always a little in the shade of an ideologically abused German - exploited by scientists in Nazi Germany. Georg Schmidt-Rohr about working during the existence of the 3rd Reich explicitly on the foundation of a national biological Sociology of Language and was head of the spoke sociological department of the SS