Elinor Ochs is an American linguistic anthropologist, and Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at University of California, Los Angeles.
[1][2] Ochs has conducted fieldwork in Madagascar, Italy, Samoa and the United States of America on communication and interaction.
[3] Together with Bambi Schieffelin, Professor Ochs developed language socialization, a field of inquiry which examines the ways in which individuals become competent members of communities of practice to and through the use of language.
[3][4] Professor Ochs is also known for her contributions to applied linguistics and the theorization of narrative and family discourse.
[5] In 1998, Professor Ochs was named a MacArthur Fellow for her contributions to the study of language.