Labov + the Department Store Study Flashcards
What was the drive of this research?
To explore the accents of the different classes.
How did Labov conduct this research?
He visited three different types of stores: Sack’s (high end), Macy’s (middle priced) and Klein’s (low end), all of which were accustomed to one of the three classes. He asked them a question to which their responses would include the word ‘fourth’ and studied the way they said the ‘r’ specifically. He then asked them to repeat their responses to see if there was any change in the way they spoke.
What were the results?
Sack’s proceeded to use their Standard American accent, Klein’s still used their accent, while Macy’s workers repeated their responses with a more Standard American way of speaking. He concluded that this was due to the store both providing for the lower and higher classes, and they felt intimidated to respond with a better way of speaking.
What were the names of the three stores?
Stack’s, Macy’s and Klein’s.
When was the research conducted?
1966
