In this second edition of Arabic Sociolinguistics, Reem Bassiouney expands the discussion of major theoretical approaches since the publication of the book’s first edition to account for new sociolinguistic theories in Arabic contexts with up-to-date examples, data, and approaches. The second edition features revised sections on diglossia, code-switching, gender discourse, language variation, and language policy in the region while adding a chapter on critical sociolinguistics—a new framework for critiquing the scholarly practices of sociolinguistics. Bassiouney also examines the impact of politics and new media on Arabic language. Arabic Sociolinguistics continues to be a uniquely valuable resource for understanding the theoretical framework of the language.
Table of Contents
1. Diglossia and dialect groups in the Arab world
2. Code-switching
3. Language variation and change
4. Arabic and gender
5. Language policy and politics
6. Arabic critical sociolinguistics
Reviews
"Ten years later Reem Bassiouney revisits her pioneer book, Arabic Sociolinguistics. The. . . Arab Spring . . . and the considerable development of . . . social networks have brought many linguistic changes in the Arab countries. A chapter has been added to deal with this and . . . the latest publications in sociolingusitics and Arabic sociolinguistics. This book will be useful to both scholars and students."—Dominique Caubet, professor emerita of North-African Arabic, Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INALCO), Paris
"Built on sound theoretical principles of sociolinguistics with a wealth of data from across the Arab world, Bassiouney’s new edition is an indispensable survey of the most pressing issues in Arabic sociolinguistics."—Youssef A. Haddad, associate professor of Arabic language & linguistics, Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures, University of Florida
"[The] second edition of Arabic Sociolinguistics add[s] an interesting new section whereby [Bassiouney] addresses the need of sociolinguists to 'evaluate a number of categories and situations'. . . This is a remarkable addition of importance to Arabic sociolinguistics . . [,] of great benefit to. . . students of Arabic as well as to linguists in general."—Aleya Rouchdy, emerita professor of linguistics, Wayne State University
"This new edition of [Arabic Sociolinguistics] proposes an important shift of vision that takes into account the increasing contribution of Arab scholars to Arabic sociolinguistics, thus questioning the approaches traditionally linked to western hegemony in this field. The wealth of data added to the first edition, the remarkable balance between theoretical and empirical contents, the attention paid to the impact of the political events and changes of the Arab world and the impact of ideologies on language, result in an exemplary picture of the many and varied sociolinguistic issues related to the Arab world. This book is a must for sociolinguists and Arabists, and an excellent reading for students, who will be fascinated in discovering the linguistic richness of the Arab world."—Antonella Ghersetti, professor of Arabic language and literature, Dipartimento di Studi sull'Asia e sull'Africa Mediterranea, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
About the Author
Reem Bassiouney is professor of linguistics at the American University in Cairo. Her books include Language and Identity in Modern Egypt and Functions of Code Switching in Egypt, and her edited volumes include Identity and Dialect Performance and Arabic and the Media. She is the coeditor of Arabic Language and Linguistics and editor and founder of the series Routledge Studies in Language and Identity. Her book Sons of the People: The Mamluk Trilogy recieved the 2019-2020 Naguib Mahfouz Award for the best Egyptian novel of the year.
