(en) This article analyzes and criticizes the way sociolinguistics traditionally approaches the issue of the social nature of language. It is argued that sociolinguistic research, especially in its variationist guise, considers language as an autonomous object, independent of other social practices. The implications of this view of language for forms of explanation in sociolinguistics are then discussed, on the basis of works about "français des banlieues", before they are contrasted with an alternative approach based on a genuine dialogue with sociology.
Hambye, P. (2012). Linguistique sociale ou science sociale du langage ? Les enjeux de l’autonomisation de l’objet langagier. Cahiers de linguistique, 38(1), 67-85. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/67393 (Original work published 2012)