Introduction to the Thematic Issue

The topics of awareness and control have been investigated for decades in sociolinguistics, but they have been approached in different ways, both theoretically and methodologically, in different corners of the subdiscipline. This has resulted in confusing and sometimes contradictory terminology, as well as divergent theoretical perspectives on what, exactly, is meant by these terms. As our understanding of the relationships between various social and cognitive systems has become more detailed and sophisticated, it has become increasingly urgent to untangle the overlapping and at times contradictory ways of understanding these concepts. For this reason, this Thematic Series responds to a need for further and more coherent development of the concept of awareness - and for coordination between different subfields of (socio)linguistics as we do so.