Identity & Community Flashcards
What are the three waves of sociolinguistics?
1) Correlation of linguistic variation with demographic category
2) Correlation of linguistic variation with local community ties
3) Correlation of linguistic variation with local identity categories; social meaning
Define the first wave of sociolingustics
Correlation of linguistic variation with demographic category
Define speech community
Participation in shared set of linguistic norms; uniformity in usage of variants. Variation measurable by demographic category (somewhat). Can be local norms within a wider speech community
What are the issues with explaining variation through speech community? (4)
- Assumes all speakers share same norms (forgets other influences)
- Focuses on speakers who are typical members of speech community (ignores those who are different)
- Only looks at groups, not individuals (only conclude social norms, not local styles)
- Assumes meaning of demographic categories (doesn’t account of heterogeneity)
Define the second wave of sociolinguistics
Correlation of linguistic variation with local community ties
Define social networks
Assumes we use language differently because of who we interact with and who matters to us, not because of any inherent difference between us
What are the 2 types of networks?
Dense and loose. The more people in a community a person knows, the more they engage with community, the more dense the social network. Dense network = more speakers found to use non-standard vernacular
Define multiplexity
The more ways speakers know one another, the more multiplex the ties between them. The more ways speakers know one another, the more likely they are to share local community norms of language use
What is the opposite approach to multiplexity
Uniplexity
What must be remembered as social network studies are enacted?
The local context of language use; people engage in multiple communities thus result in having multiple identities
Define the third wave of sociolingusitics
Correlation of linguistic variation with local identity categories; social meaning
What are communities of practice?
Mutual engagement, jointly negotiated, shared repertoire
What does practice mean
Shared way of doing things
What is the difference between communities of practice and social networks
Whereas social networks = who is connected to who in a community, communities of practice = who shares social practice with who in community. About quality of connectivity that exists; requires ethnography
Define ethnography
Systematic study of people and cultures via their customs/habits/mutual differences
What are the two approaches of study to identity?
Essentialist (identity = something we’re born with, e.g. ethnicity, gender); constructionist (identity = something we do)
What does linguistic theory claim about identity?
Produced and sustained by human interaction; social positioning of the self and other
How can speakers index an identity related to a particular social group?
Through the use of culturally-meaningful language connected to that group
“______” is the link between stereotypes and actual language use.
Indexicality
What could ‘acts of identity’ mean?
Language style-shift to resemble that of those in groups you wish to be identified with (or be unlike those you wish to be distinguished from): identity as social achievement
What are the 2 types of indexicality
- Direct index: the characteristic that language use indicates
- Indirect index: the social identity that the characteristic is associated with
In order for effective discourse analysis, what must we remember regarding the types of indexicality?
Because discourse features are multifunctional - aka can point to various characteristics (thus identities) - context is key for establishing meaning
