Frederick Erickson, Talk and Social Theory: Ecologies of Speaking and Listening in Everyday Life
(Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, 2004)

From the publisher's description:
Talk and Social Theory is an important contribution to our understanding of everyday talk and its relation to broader social processes. Talk is unique and locally produced, crafted by particular social actors for the specific situation of its use. Yet the conduct of such talk is profoundly influenced by, and influential upon, social and cultural processes that occur beyond the temporal and spatial horizon of the occasion of the talk itself. Drawing on and criticizing social theory, Erickson explores the mutually reinforcing connections between the local conduct of talk and the general workings of society, economy, and history.

The use of everyday examples enhances the appeal of Talk and Social Theory to a non-specialist as well as a specialist audience. It reviews key theoretical perspectives and conceptual frameworks in social theory and in the sociolinguistic study of talk. It concludes with an argument against overly determinist accounts of talk as social action, in the interest of better construction of social theory and better empirical study of talk.

Material presented here is copyrighted by Frederick Erickson. Some of the clips were degraded on purpose, to protect the identities of participants.

If the embedded videos do not launch, click the titles to launch a player. Please note that the player may take a few moments to begin.

Back to Frederick Erickson's home page