Labov's NYC Department Study Flashcards
When was this study done?
1972
What was Labov looking for?
The presence of the prestigious rhotic r in different social classes in New York
Where did Labov go to do his study?
Went to an upper class store, a middle class store and a lower class store
What did Labov ask at all 3 stores?
For clothes that were on the fourth floor
Why did Labov specifically ask for this floor?
So that he could hear the pronunciation of the r in the word
How many times did Labov ask? Why?
Asked twice. Once to hear them say it casually and when they repeated it in a louder voice he could get the more formal way of saying it
What is the name of emphasis on the r pronunciation?
Emphatic R
What did Labov find in the upper class store?
They used the rhotic r pronunciation the most
What did Labov find in the middle class store?
They used it the second most but when asked to repeat themselves they used hypercorrection
What is hypercorrection?
Where letters in words are pronounced when they are not usually said in the pronunciation of a word
What did Labov find with the lower class store?
They used the rhotic r pronunciation the least
How is Overt Prestige present in Labov’s study?
There was a larger influence of the prestigious rhotic accent on classes in Labovs study
