17.645, Disc: Hiring Practices in Variationist Sociolinguistics

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LINGUIST List: Vol-17-645. Wed Mar 01 2006. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 17.645, Disc: Hiring Practices in Variationist Sociolinguistics

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1)
Date: 20-Feb-2006
From: Richard Cameron < rcameron at uic.edu >
Subject: Hiring Practices in Variationist Sociolinguistics 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 13:38:07
From: Richard Cameron < rcameron at uic.edu >
Subject: Hiring Practices in Variationist Sociolinguistics 
 

This academic year has been, I believe, a good year for academic hiring in
linguistics in the United States. As a consequence, I have paid attention to job
announcements in my principal area of expertise, Variationist Sociolinguistics.
I have a few questions, then, for the Variationist community in the U.S. about a
pattern of hiring practice that I have observed.  I will begin with two
observations. 

Initial Observation:
In those U.S. Departments of Linguistics, which
  (A) offer a PhD, and which
  (B) employ Variationists with their primary appointment in those
      departments, these Variationists work primarily or exclusively on
      English or English-lexified Creoles.

Second Observation
In those Linguistics Departments, which offer a Ph.D., and  which arecurrently
hiring Variationists, the short-listed candidates work primarilyor exclusively
on English or English-lexified Creoles. 

Questions: 
Is this, in general,  an accurate description? I know of two exceptions. No more. 
If this is accurate, why is this the practice when the annual NWAV conference
has presenters on many other languages besides English?
Do similar English-only hiring practices occur for other branches  of
linguistics in the US? If so, which branches? Why?
Is this a good thing for the future of Variationist Sociolinguistics? If yes,
why? If no, why not?
		
If I receive any responses, I will post the responses. 	
Thank you - Richard Cameron 


Linguistic Field(s): Sociolinguistics





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