Labov's NYC Department Study Flashcards
What 3 social classes of stores did Labov go to?
Went to an upper class store, a middle class store and a lower class store
What did Labov ask at all 3 stores?
He asked 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 a second time so that they pronounced the “r” more clearly
Which social class of store used the rhotic r pronunciation the most?
The upper class store
What form of correction did the middle class store use with the second rhotic r pronunciation?
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
