ABSTRACT
The paper re-printed here as chapter 16 is part of a larger research program in which I am investigating what the emerging field of interactional sociolinguistics has to contribute to the better understanding of the relationship between language and context. I am concerned, in the first place, with the relationship between language and context in the sense of small scale (micro-cosmic) conversational settings: with how participants' interpretations of intent and evaluation of attitude and ability, at any stage of the conversation, depend on the speech setting, the meanings of other parts of the conversation and on the backgrounds of the participants. I am concerned, also, with the relationship between language and context in the sense of large-scale (macro-cosmic) social structure: with how what takes place at the micro-level of social life affects such features of the macro-level of social life as prejudice, discrimination, and the distribution of power.
