This volume is a summary of current knowledge concerning the relationship between social behavior and language behavior. It is intended both for graduate and advanced undergraduate students and for interested laypersons who have no extensive knowledge of either sociology or linguistics. The introduction and ten chapters cover the following topics: (1) sociology of language, its relation to other fields, and theory and methodology; (2) the nature of language; (3) social and linguistic change; (4) language society, and culture; (5) microsociolinguistics; (6) language varieties and their significance; (7) multilingualism and the language community; (8) language and social inequalities; (9) ethnic and linguistic minorities; (10) nationalism, colonialism, and culture contact; and (11) language policy and language conflict. An extensive bibliography is included. (AMH)