LINGUIST List 17.645

Wed Mar 01 2006

Disc: Hiring Practices in Variationist Sociolinguistics

Editor for this issue: Ann Sawyer <sawyerlinguistlist.org>

---

Directory         1.    Richard Cameron, Hiring Practices in Variationist Sociolinguistics

---

Message 1: Hiring Practices in Variationist Sociolinguistics
Date: 20-Feb-2006
From: Richard Cameron <rcameronuic.edu>
Subject: Hiring Practices in Variationist Sociolinguistics


This academic year has been, I believe, a good year for academic hiring in linguistics in the United States. As a consequence, I have paid attention to job announcements in my principal area of expertise, Variationist Sociolinguistics. I have a few questions, then, for the Variationist community in the U.S. about a pattern of hiring practice that I have observed. I will begin with two observations.

Initial Observation: In those U.S. Departments of Linguistics, which (A) offer a PhD, and which (B) employ Variationists with their primary appointment in those departments, these Variationists work primarily or exclusively on English or English-lexified Creoles.

Second Observation In those Linguistics Departments, which offer a Ph.D., and which arecurrently hiring Variationists, the short-listed candidates work primarilyor exclusively on English or English-lexified Creoles.

Questions: Is this, in general, an accurate description? I know of two exceptions. No more. If this is accurate, why is this the practice when the annual NWAV conference has presenters on many other languages besides English? Do similar English-only hiring practices occur for other branches of linguistics in the US? If so, which branches? Why? Is this a good thing for the future of Variationist Sociolinguistics? If yes, why? If no, why not?

If I receive any responses, I will post the responses. Thank you - Richard Cameron

Linguistic Field(s): Sociolinguistics