Fundamental research on communication from a wide variety of disciplines is synthesized to develop an original and broadly based theory of conversational inference, showing how verbal communications can reinforce or overcome barriers between social and ethnic groups.

Linguistic relativity is the claim that culture, through language, affects the way in which we think, and especially our classification of the experienced world. This book reexamines ideas about linguistic relativity in the light of new evidence and changes in theoretical climate. The editors have provided a substantial introduction that summarizes changes in thinking about the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis in the light of developments in anthropology, linguistics and cognitive science. Introductions to each section will be of especial use to students.

A collection of case studies based on close analysis of different face-to-face verbal exchanges characteristic of modern industrial society. They illustrate the way discourse conventions and situational and social factors affect conversational inferences.

A new introduction surveys the considerable literature in linguistics, psychology and social sciences that the original essay on the phenomenon of politeness stimulated.