I think that's the term I want to use (if someone thinks of a better one, i'd definitely edit the thread title!) but basically:
The way a person speaks is obviously closely linked to their background, but growing up in a diverse atmosphere with a sizeable african-american community, sizeable jamaican/haitian minority, a slow invasion of wasps and a quick increase in hispanic-americans (mostly mexican) and a strong minority jewish community, the area I grew up in was a mess of different languages and influences (I'm from chicago/chicago area, i'd prefer not to be specific). It wasn't until i went away to college (i'm about to graduate) in a predominantly uni-cultural white school that i realized the degree to which language was divisive. There is a very small population of african-americans, quite a few international students (mostly from india/pakistan) but it is at least 75% white-american, i believe.
So anyway i have a friend here who is african american (i'm not tripping on the 'i have black friends' tip, at school he is my OBF [one black friend]) and knows more people on campus than most...anyway, a friend of mine pointed out a few minutes ago how he "code switches," like he shifts his method of speaking when talking to different people. I thought this was pretty interesting because i hadn't really thought about it, but even in the diverse atmosphere at home langauge was still divided in many ways.
Anyway I'm not sure what point I'm making with my personal story because its not that interesting, but basically i think it'd be interesting to have a discussion on the degree to which language is mutable from culture to culture, subculture to subculture. I'm sure there's tons of linguistic studies on this out there, and probably lots of literature, so if anyone knows any good books (for the layperson, academic jargon gets the gasface) i'd be interested.
Particularly interesting questions:
Who can 'code switch'? Do people do it without realizing it? Is it easier for say African Americans because theres is not the dominant culture? Is it insulting to do it in a "genuine" attempt to infiltrate, or is it more insulting to appropriate it but stay within your own "circle"? does the diversity of the atmosphere one grows up in allow for more comfortable levels of code switching because of a higher level of langauge "bastardization"? (i dont mean 'bastardization' to be a pejorative, obviously)
I donno, maybe i'm full of crap but i think there's a lot to discuss about this stuff and i hadn't really thought about it much before, so i'm interested in hearing what people think, particularly because this is a more international board than any of the other ones i frequent, so perspectives may be different.
The way a person speaks is obviously closely linked to their background, but growing up in a diverse atmosphere with a sizeable african-american community, sizeable jamaican/haitian minority, a slow invasion of wasps and a quick increase in hispanic-americans (mostly mexican) and a strong minority jewish community, the area I grew up in was a mess of different languages and influences (I'm from chicago/chicago area, i'd prefer not to be specific). It wasn't until i went away to college (i'm about to graduate) in a predominantly uni-cultural white school that i realized the degree to which language was divisive. There is a very small population of african-americans, quite a few international students (mostly from india/pakistan) but it is at least 75% white-american, i believe.
So anyway i have a friend here who is african american (i'm not tripping on the 'i have black friends' tip, at school he is my OBF [one black friend]) and knows more people on campus than most...anyway, a friend of mine pointed out a few minutes ago how he "code switches," like he shifts his method of speaking when talking to different people. I thought this was pretty interesting because i hadn't really thought about it, but even in the diverse atmosphere at home langauge was still divided in many ways.
Anyway I'm not sure what point I'm making with my personal story because its not that interesting, but basically i think it'd be interesting to have a discussion on the degree to which language is mutable from culture to culture, subculture to subculture. I'm sure there's tons of linguistic studies on this out there, and probably lots of literature, so if anyone knows any good books (for the layperson, academic jargon gets the gasface) i'd be interested.
Particularly interesting questions:
Who can 'code switch'? Do people do it without realizing it? Is it easier for say African Americans because theres is not the dominant culture? Is it insulting to do it in a "genuine" attempt to infiltrate, or is it more insulting to appropriate it but stay within your own "circle"? does the diversity of the atmosphere one grows up in allow for more comfortable levels of code switching because of a higher level of langauge "bastardization"? (i dont mean 'bastardization' to be a pejorative, obviously)
I donno, maybe i'm full of crap but i think there's a lot to discuss about this stuff and i hadn't really thought about it much before, so i'm interested in hearing what people think, particularly because this is a more international board than any of the other ones i frequent, so perspectives may be different.