Third Wave Variationism

Abstract

Abstract This article traces the development of the most recent approach to the study of sociolinguistic variation and considers the theoretical issues it raises. This field has moved through three waves of analytic practice. The first focused on the spread of linguistic change, finding robust correlations between linguistic variables and macrosocial categories across large populations. The second wave took an ethnographic turn, examining the relation between variation and local social dynamics. The third wave focuses on the indexical nature of sociolinguistic variation and on the stylistic practice in which variables gain their meaning. This approach differs from earlier practice in its focus on social meaning and speaker agency, and on the role of stylistic practice in social change and the construction of social distinctions.

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