Metroethnicity, Naming and Mocknolect: New horizons in Japanese sociolinguistics

Language is a complex social phenomenon that encompasses various aspects such as social space, aesthetics, play, communication, and identity. This book explores key issues in sociolinguistics with a specific focus on Japan, including language and gender, portable identities, slang, taboo, discriminatory language, indigenous place-names, children's songs, and nicknames. It offers innovative and radical perspectives on the sociolinguistics of Japanese.

Format: Hardback
Length: 239 pages
Publication date: 27 May 2021
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Co

Language is a multifaceted phenomenon that encompasses various aspects of human interaction and experience. It serves as a social space, where individuals come together to communicate, share ideas, and form relationships. Language is also an aesthetic realm, where the beauty and rhythm of words and sentences can evoke emotions and create a sense of harmony. Moreover, language is a form of play and creativity, allowing individuals to express themselves in unique and imaginative ways.

Geographically, language serves as a reference point, helping individuals locate and identify different regions and cultures. It can also be a source of pride and identity, as language is closely tied to cultural heritage and traditions.

In addition to its social and cultural functions, language is also a jouissance, providing pleasure and enjoyment to those who engage with it. It can be a source of entertainment, as well as a tool for learning and intellectual growth.

Language is a powerful tool that shapes and influences individual and social identities. It can create barriers and divisions, as well as bring people together and promote understanding and empathy.

This book takes up salient issues of sociolinguistics with a specific focus on Japan. It explores the complex relationship between language and gender, particularly in the context of the married name controversy. It also examines the formation of portable identities around traditional, essentialist notions of ethnicity, known as metroethnicity, and the challenges this poses to language diversity and preservation.

Slang, taboo, and discriminatory language in Japanese, particularly towards minorities, is also explored in this book. It sheds light on the ways in which language can be used to perpetuate social inequalities and marginalize certain groups. The book also examines the fellowship and parody of children's songs, which are a rich source of linguistic creativity and playfulness.

Furthermore, the book explores the diversity of nicknames among children and young people, reflecting the social and cultural dynamics of Japanese society. It examines the ways in which nicknames are used to express affection, friendship, and belonging, as well as the ways in which they can be used to create social hierarchies and hierarchies.

Through its comprehensive analysis of these issues, this book offers radical and new perspectives on the sociolinguistics of Japanese. It challenges traditional notions of language and identity and provides a deeper understanding of the complex and multifaceted nature of language in Japanese society.

In conclusion, language is a social space, an aesthetic, a form of play and communication, a geographical reference, a jouissance, a producer of numerous social and personal identities. It plays a vital role in shaping individual and social identities, promoting understanding and empathy, and fostering cultural heritage and diversity. This book provides a valuable contribution to the field of sociolinguistics by exploring the complex relationship between language and various aspects of Japanese society.

Weight: 616g
Dimension: 167 x 250 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789027208576