Theories Flashcards
What did the Peter Trudgill Norwich Study explore?
> Explored differences between people of working and middle-class backgrounds in their pronunciation of certain sounds including the “-ing” suffix at the end of words like “running”
What did the Peter Trudgill Norwich Study find?
> Men over-reported their non-standard usage, implying they wish to sound more non- standard
> Women over-reported their standard usage, implying they wish to sound more standard
What did Jenny Cheshires Reading Study identify?
> 11 non-standard features and measured their frequency of use in boys and girls in a Reading playground to look at effects of peer-group culture
What did Jenny Cheshires Reading study find?
> The “toughest” boys and girls conform to the group use of non-standard grammatical forms
What did Milroys Social Network Theory focus on?
> Focused on relationships between individuals and the contact patterns between group members
What did Milroys Social Network Theory find?
> The strength of the ties is an important factor - the stronger the tie, the more influential on language
In Milroys Social Network Theory, what did increased geographical mobility lead to?
> Increased geographical mobility leads to the “large-scale distribution of close-knit, localised networks that have historically maintained highly systematic and complex sets of socially structured norms”
In Milroys Social Network Theory, what did increased social mobility lead to?
> Increased social mobility lead to the “consequent breaking down of tight knit working class communities” (Kerswill)
What and who did Penelope Eckert focus her research on in her “Jocks and burnouts” study?
> The social practices of American high-school students
> She identified 2 groups: “Jocks”= a group who participates in school life enthusiastically, and the “Burnouts”, who were actively rebellious
What did Penelope Eckert find in her “Jocks and burnouts” study?
> People tended to speak more like those with whom they shared social practices and values
> The “burnouts” more often use the exaggerated pronunciations associated with urban accents
> The “jocks” spoke in more of a socially prestigious way
> The “jocks” were more critical of the “burnouts” for their own grammatical language e.g. frequent swearing and inability to articulate
Paul Barkers research on “Polari”
What is Polari?
> Polari is a form of language that is most commonly associated with gay men
Paul Barkers research on “Polari”
Why was Polari used?
> Homosexuality was stigmatised through institutions of law, medicine and religion, so these men needed a way to express themselves without getting caught
Paul Barkers research on “Polari”
How was Polari used?
> The odd Polari word was dropped into conversation with new acquaintances to work out if they may be interested
Paul Barkers research on “Polari”
How else was Polari used?
> As a form of initiation into the gay subculture
> The older gay men would teach the “newbies” all of the words and “christen” them with their own camp name - e.g. Nathan becomes Nanette
What is an anti-language? ( Term created by Michael Halliday )
> The term “anti-language” describes how stigmatised subcultures develop languages that help them to reconstruct reality according to their own values
Paul Barkers research on “Polari”
How is Polari seen as a form of anti-language?
> A Polari would like “bona” meant good, however, it wasn’t a straightforward translation of the English word “good” - it meant good according to the values of a Polari speaker
What do anti-languages demonstrate?
> Anti-languages demonstrate opposition to mainstream society
Basil Bernstein: Language and Social Class
What is a social class?
> Social class is the predetermined division between society which influences how life initially begins for all
Basil Bernstein: Language and Social Class
Elaborated code?
> Elaborated code = more formal, logical connectives, convey facts & ideas, more originality -> associated with higher classes
Basil Bernstein: Language and Social Class
Restricted code?
> Restricted code= syntax is looser, simple connectives, convey attitude & feelings, more cliches-> associated with lower classes
What did William Labov investigate in his New York study?
> He investigated the pronunciation of the post-vocalic “r” sound among different social classes in New York City
Where did William Labov focus his research on in his New York study?
> He focused on three department stores that represented different socioeconomic statuses: Saks Fifth Avenue (upper class), Macy’s (middle class), and S. Klein (lower class)
What did William Labov find in his New York study?
> Labov found that the use of the post-vocalic “r” varied significantly among the stores
> Higher-class speakers were more likely to pronounce the “r,” while lower-class speakers tended to drop it
> This indicated a correlation between social class and linguistic behavior
What did Malcom Petyt’s study of h-dropping focus on?
> Malcolm Petyt’s study of h-dropping focused on the pronunciation of the initial “h” sound in words like “house” and “home” among speakers in West Yorkshire
What did Malcom Petyt’s study of h-dropping find?
> Petyt found that working-class speakers were more likely to drop the “h,” saying “ouse” instead of “house.”
> In contrast, middle-class speakers tended to pronounce the “h” consistently
> His research revealed a clear link between the pronunciation of “h” and social class, showing that linguistic choices can reflect social identities
