From bilingual education and racial epithets to gendered pronouns and immigration discourses, language is a central concern in contemporary conversations and controversies surrounding social inequality. Developed as a collaborative effort by members of the American Anthropological Association's Language and Social Justice Task Force, this innovative volume synthesizes scholarly insights on the relationship between patterns of communication and the creation of more just societies. Using case studies by leading and emergent scholars and practitioners written especially for undergraduate audiences, the book is ideal for introductory courses on social justice in linguistics and anthropology.

This book uses case studies by leading and emergent scholars and practitioners written especially for undergraduate audiences, and is ideal for introductory courses on social justice in linguistics and anthropology.

"Finally a book that squarely calls language for what it is--a crucial form of social action. Revolutionary in its approach to language, as well as the ways in which scholarship is developed collaboratively, this book forges new paths for language studies. In providing us with a lens that links language to race discourse, education, health, social activism, and law, the book shows how language operates to limit equitable participation and how it can be used to radically reimagine a world with social justice." Ofelia García, The City University of New York, USA "Language and Social Justice in Practice is an inspired collective rebuttal to those-academics and other citizens alike-who would erase or minimize the crucial role of language and communicative practices-in reproducing structural violence and promoting social injustice. In twenty-four hard-hitting chapters, these authors challenge hegemonic concepts and practices like "the language gap," "illegal migrants," "linguistically isolated" families, linguistic colonization, and racial slurs repackaged as Native American mascots. These engaged and activist scholars brightly illuminate a path for transforming academic knowledge about language into political action and social justice. Paul V. Kroskrity, University of California, USA."