Second call for papers
Socio-cultural factors in style

The Research Group in Stylistics at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest (stylistics.elte.hu) is inviting linguists to the international conference ‘Socio-cultural factors in style’, due to take place in Budapest, 5-6. 02. 2014.

The conference is aimed primarily at functional cognitive linguists with an interest in stylistics. Its central topic is the functions of socio-cultural factors in style. Functional cognitive linguistics produces complex usage-based descriptions, foregrounding the motivations behind specific construals of meaning in intersubjective usage events. Fundamental factors of a functionally oriented description of dynamic semantics and grammar include discourse, speech situation, conceptualizer perspective and the dynamic relation between schema and instantiation. The present conference focuses on the stylistic components of linguistic variability.

From a functional cognitive perspective, style is an aspect of discursive meaning derived from particular modes of construal and symbolization. Style can be studied from multiple vantage points and at varying levels of abstraction. Besides the stylistic potential of language and the stylistic structure of particular discourses or discourse types, socio-cultural factors can be explored with a view to the more or less conventionalized social functions of linguistic expressions in a speech community. Looked at in this way, style is a function of the norms of socially based interpersonal relations, and it is attributed to linguistic expressions in specific usage events. Socio-cultural factors of style include the domains of attitude, situation, value (value saturation vs. deprivation), time (archaism vs. neologism), and language varieties.

The conference focuses on three large, closely related issues:

1. the functional cognitive theory and methodology of the study of style,
2. the general features of socio-cultural factors in the functional system of style; linguistic variability and stylistic variables based on socio-cultural factors,
3. socio-cultural variables of style as instantiated in particular discourses.

The conference aims to reinterpret basic issues and raise new questions in stylistic research, with special regard to the following:

1. developing an integrated theory and methodology for studying the cognitive and socio-cultural underpinnings of language, to be applied to stylistic research,
2. exploring the implications of cognitive semantics and pragmatics for the study of style,
3. harmonizing the style-related concepts and results of sociolinguistics and cognitive linguistics,
4. investigating the language- and culture-specific features of style in the theoretical and methodological framework of cognitive linguistics.

The language of the conference is English. Section papers will be allocated 20 minutes plus 10 minutes for discussion.

Confirmed keynote speakers:
Willie van Peer
Gábor Tolcsvai Nagy

The deadline for submission of abstracts (in English; max one page including data and references) is December 12, 2013. Please submit your abstract as attached message (in both .pdf and .doc formats) by e-mail to the address of the organizing committee: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . The abstracts will be evaluated by the organizing committee. Participants will be notified about acceptance by December 28, 2013.

The registration fee is EUR 80,00 payable by bank transfer.

Abstract submission

The body of the e-mail should include the following information (preferably in this order):

1. Name of the participant
2. Title of presentation
3. Affiliation
4. E-mail address

The book of abstracts will be published on the conference website, at stylistics.elte.hu.

The orgainzers at Eötvös Loránd University:
Gábor Tolcsvai Nagy
Szilárd Tátrai
Réka Sólyom