Dell Hymes has revisited, enlarged and re-contextualized some of his leading essays, written over the last two decades, into a volume which addresses the contribution that ethnography and linguistics make to education, and the contribution that research in educational makes to anthropology and linguistics.

The first section presents a historically grounded view of the role of ethnography in education, and pinpoints those characteristics of anthropology that most make a difference to research in education. The second section provides a view of the engagement of language in social life in relation to recognizing and overcoming inequality, with a corresponding critique of the limitations of linguistics and anthropology in this regard.

The third section takes up discoveries about narrative, where ethnography and linguistics converge, and shows that young people's narratives may have a depth of form and skill that has gone largely unrecognized. This important volume illuminates Hymes' research as a whole; gives insights into current agendas and issues; and points to new areas for further research.