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Language, Society and the Elderly

Discourse, Identity and Ageing

Nikolas Coupland author Justine Coupland author Howard Giles author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Published:22nd Aug '91

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Language, Society and the Elderly cover

Language, Society and the Elderly is the first concerted attempt to give a social account of language and interaction in later life. The book gives a detailed critique of the cognitive bias of existing studies of elderly people's language. In its place, the authors propose a socially-based approach which explains how older people's life circumstances, concerns, goals and beliefs influence their styles of interaction. But social stereotypes of old age and a generally ageist social climate limit the roles available to elderly people. In detailed analyses of talk between elderly people and younger adults, the authors show how age and health identifies are negotiated. They look particularly at sequences of troubles-telling and moments of painful self-disclosure by elderly people, examining how even "supportive" talk to the elderly can threaten identity and reinforce social divisions. "Language, Society and the Elderly" opens up an entirely new field for sociolinguistics. It also shows how studies of language and interaction can contribute to theory in social gerontology, and to policy and practice in medical and caring contexts.

ISBN: 9780631182795

Dimensions: 229mm x 155mm x 17mm

Weight: 369g

236 pages