This work is a contribution to the philosophy and history of various sciences, including linguistics. It introduces and provides examples of application of a new model of the structure and dynamics of science, namely, the model of controversy spaces. In the case of linguistics, the model may be useful at least in two ways. First, to reconstruct in a new, illuminating way the history of contemporary linguistics or any of its branches. One of the case studies included in the book undertakes such a task by focusing on the history of American linguistics. Secondly, to provide a fresh, comprehensive look at the present state of the field, its main features and trends. The notion of "controversy space" and its associated notions provide a tool to achieve a systematic description and ordering of the rich diversity of the debates going on in the field.