In addition, some sociolinguists may see in the CofP a tool for the description
of language variation that bears a strong resemblance to fundamental principles of social identity theory. The distinction between intergroup and interpersonal
identities has been the basis for social psychological research for more than two
decades. It must, therefore, be demonstrated how the notion of the CofP buys us
something more than social identity theory does, and how it can be of direct help
in understanding human behavior, and particularly linguistic behavior