Magda Stroinska (ed.), Relative points of view: Linguistic representations of culture. New York: Berghahn Books, 2001. Pp.xii, 228. Hb $69.95, Pb $25.00.

Abstract

At first glance, the title of this book seems to index major themes of linguistic anthropology; however, it is published as volume 6 in a cultural studies series. Its contributors' interests range from linguistics through the expanse of humanities, illustrating how eclectic and interdisciplinary contemporary research in area of language and culture has become. The editor, Magda Stroinska, begins this volume with a brief overview of several themes recurring throughout: linguistic relativity, the search for universals, cross-cultural identity, globalization, and translatability. The research presented here analyzes interactions among language, behavior, and context as they emerge in several areas of current concern. These include metaphors and their use in speech, as well as discourses on topics such as gender and marriage, science versus postmodernism, internationalized business, politics, nationalism, study abroad experiences, emotion, and religion. The authors examine data from various sources, including original speech data, data first discussed elsewhere, literature, and media. Five thematic sections of two chapters each comprise this edited volume.