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Language Socialization Among Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers

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Book cover Language Socialization

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Language and Education ((ELE))

Abstract

Language socialization (LS) is a constructive theoretical framework through which to view interactions between persons with a diagnosis of dementia and their caregivers. The tenets of the LS paradigm are found in dementia research that examines communication and behavior through the social interactions of persons with dementia with their caregivers, often in institutional settings. This chapter examines LS as applied to persons with dementia and their caregivers, focusing on works from social sciences, with some inclusion of nursing and medical research that employs a socio-cultural lens, if not an LS one specifically. To begin, the background literature on language and dementia is reviewed. The section on Early Developments concentrates on communication disorders and psycholinguistic research on language deficits as well as sociolinguistic investigations into language and dementia. Early studies of caregiver communication training programs are discussed briefly. The section on Major Contributions explores how language is used to socialize persons with dementia and their caregivers and how language is used to socialize others to this experience. Works in Progress examines Validation Theory and the socialization of people suffering from dementia. Finally, Future Directions suggests how the incorporation of the arts – including poetry, theater, and music – might supplement existing clinical and qualitative studies focusing on everyday language, communication, and socialization. In addition, the need for definitional and methodological clarity across studies is underscored.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA

    Pamela A. Saunders

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  1. Pamela A. Saunders
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Correspondence to Pamela A. Saunders .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Language and Literacy Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    Patricia A. Duff

  2. Faculty of Education, University of Auckland, School of Critic, Auckland, New Zealand

    Stephen May

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Saunders, P.A. (2017). Language Socialization Among Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers. In: Duff, P., May, S. (eds) Language Socialization. Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02327-4_20-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02327-4_20-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-02327-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-02327-4

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