Language and Culture in Dialogue

Andrew J. Strathern is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh, USAPamela J. Stewart is Senior Research Associate at the the University of Pittsburgh, USA

• About the AuthorsPrefaceAcknowledgements1. Language as Cultural Practice2. Origins3. Language, Practice, and Embodiment4. Themes in Language Practice5. Cognition and Categories: The Work of Roy Ellen6. Cognition and Categories: The Work of Anna Wierzbicka7. Cognitive Science and Language8. Language and Ritual: The Merina and the Melpa9. Language and Ritual: Maring and Melpa10. Language and Power11. Language, Literacy, and Change: Scots and Tok Pisin12. Excursions, Translations, and ExplorationsReferencesIndex

"Grounded in multitemporal ethnographic research from the Highlands of Papua New Guinea to the Highlands of Scotland and points in between, the authors explore classical and contemporary thinking pertaining to human language and culture. They present the complexities of past debates, current theories and emerging ideas about human language and culture in concise, jargon free exposition that challenges, informs and enlightens. A brilliant contribution demonstrating the best in academic scholarship. Highly recommended. - Naomi M. McPherson, University of British Columbia, CanadaI recommend this book to anyone interested in the relation of language to thought, in other words, to just about everyone! The text offers a fresh and fascinating glimpse into language, in all its complexity. Language is too important to be left just to linguists. - Alan Barnard, University of Edinburgh, UK"