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24 - Variation in Gesture: A Sociocultural Linguistic Perspective

from Part V - Gestures in Relation to Interaction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2024

By
Heather Brookes
Edited by
Alan Cienki
Alan Cienki
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
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Summary

This chapter reviews the study of variation in gesture and its theoretical underpinnings in the field of gesture studies. It questions the use of culture, language, or nationality as the default unit of analysis in studies of gesture variation. Drawing on theoretical developments in sociolinguistics and recent anthropologial analyses of gesture, it argues for the possibility that social factors and divisions other than linguistic/cultural boundaries may provide a more robust and comprehensive theoretical account for variation in gesture.

Keywords

gesturevariationclassgendercultureethnicitystyleindexicalityinteractionenvironment
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Gesture Studies , pp. 616 - 640
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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