Language Diversity) Language And Ethnicity Flashcards
Isajiw study
Investigated studies relating to ethnicity, found only 13/65 attempted to define term ‘ethnicity’
From these studies, list of attributes put together as being linked to definition of ethnicity: eg shared religion, language, common values etc
However, no could agree which of these attributes are essential in defining term ethnicity
Shows how unappealing and difficult it is to define term ‘ethnicity’
Whos was the study on defining ethnicity
Isajiw
Essentialist view
Assumes ethnicity is something inherited from our parents, and so it’s incapable of changing - permanent element of identity
Constructionist view
Something we take on based on our surroundings and experiences, so can construct ethnicity through our behaviour, linguistic etc
What can be used to distinguish between essentialist and constructionist views of ethnicity
Roots - related to ancestry
Routes - related to pathways and means
Study to prove essentialist view
Hewitt’s white talk, black talk study
Hewitt’s research showed there were two varieties of England spoken in London which stemmed from immigration: a creole and mle
White speakers were criticised by creole speakers for using linguistic features from the creole, as creole wasn’t something white speakers inherited
Shows essentialist view of ethnicity as must be born with it
What’s a creole
Marked members of specific ethnic groups
Typically Britons with Caribbean ancestry
Features of MLE
A sociolect that emerged in late 20th century, rooted from the Caribbean
Associated with black youths in south London
Features include th fronting, ‘man’ being used as pronoun
Youth variety, not ethnic variety, as it’s a sociolect that spread among ethnicities nowadays
Language that is considered as part of ethnic groups, so others can’t adopt it
Issue with this
Racial slurs such as n word
Popularised by rap music, so creates issue of if language can be owned
Why may people feel it’s acceptable to use n word, even if not black. 4
(Or any racial slurs)
Not always used negatively, may be used as general term
Word is part of pop culture now, due to being popularised by rap music
Some ppl may not see it as offensive, but instead as part of history
Can’t ban language, will just make people want to say it more
Ethnic makeup of U.K.
87% white/white British
6.9% Asian/Asian British
3% black/African/Caribbean black British
What did Hewitts study do
Proved essentialist view of ethnicity
Khans study
Khan investigated 3 ethnic groups in Birmingham
British white used traditional Birmingham pronounciation of vowel in goat
British black avoided the [o:] pronunciation
Evidence language acts as marker of ethnicity
Also found more non white friends a British white speaker had=less likely they were to use traditional Birmingham pronunciation, supports constructionist view
Study to support constructionist view
Khan
Wolfram study
Argues white majority societies are responsible for perception of black children being ‘linguistically handicapped’
As maintain power hierarchy between white and black ethnic groups, through their treatment of African American English
