African American Female Speech Communities: Varieties of Talk (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780897895064)

In this sociolinguistic study, not only are language and gender researched, but the relationship between language and ethnic group, region, and social class is also discussed. Hudson describes the ways in which some female African American writers use the language of African American female characters to reflect their membership in various speech communities. Materials used for this text include slave narratives, novels, short stories, diaries, plays, and autobiographies. The study bridges the gap between the existing research on that focuses on the Vernacular English spoken mainly by young African American males and the research which mainly focuses on the language used by white middle class females.

Research in the area of African American English has investigated both its form and its use in conversational interactions. Hudson explores how African American English encompasses a range of dialects from Standard to Vernacular English, noting that there is a diversity of language types present in the African American female speech community. This book offers language researchers, social scientists, educators, and others valuable insights into language use by minority females.

Author: Barbara Hill Hudson
ISBN-10: 0897895061
ISBN-13: 9780897895064
Publisher: Praeger
Language: English
Published: 06/30/2001
Pages: 256
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.26lbs
Size: 9.48h x 6.40w x 0.95d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 01/01/2002 pg. 873
Multicultural Review 06/01/2002 pg. 88
Reference and Research Bk News 11/01/2001 pg. 211