Language purism and social hierarchies: Making a Romani standard in Prizren

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 741-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia Abercrombie
Keyword(s):  
Language Ideology ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Social Hierarchies ◽  
Anthropological Linguistics ◽  
Ethnographic Approach ◽  
The Social

AbstractThis article takes an ethnographic approach to language standardisation. My research focuses on Romani language use in Prizren, Kosovo, which has a tradition of multilingualism. Moving away from approaches to standardisation that focus only on linguistic processes, I look more broadly at the social processes behind language standardisation. I explore discussions, debates, and attitudes towards me as a language learner to show how a Romani standard is being produced and legitimised in Prizren. Applying theories of purism and standardisation, I examine how certain speech practices are made inferior and how social hierarchies legitimise this. I relate this more broadly to the politics of Romani language and to theories of sociolinguistics and anthropological linguistics. (Romani, Kosovo, standardisation, purism, language ideology)*

Sociolinguistics: Theory

1984 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 46-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Heller
Keyword(s):  
Language Use ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Theoretical Issue ◽  
Social Meaning ◽  
Language Varieties ◽  
The Social ◽  
Variationist Sociolinguistics ◽  
Social Distribution ◽  
The Relationship

In 1980, in this journal, Joshua Fishman presented the major theoretical issue in sociolinguistics as being the link between microsociolinguistic and macrosociolinguistic processes. In 1984 that is still the case, although the issue is receiving more explicit attention than it did four years ago.There are two branches of sociolinguistics which approach this issue in different ways. These two branches are interactionist and variationist sociolinguistics. Interactionist sociolinguistics is principally interested in what language use can tell us about social processes, and therefore a central concern is the social meaning of language use. Variationist sociolinguistics is interested in accounting for linguistic variation and change, at least partly as a product of the social distribution of language varieties. It is, therefore, less concerned with meaning as process, and more concerned with the interaction of linguistic and social systems; in this view the significance of language is mainly symbolic. In this review, I will discuss the contributions of these branches to the problem of the relationship between microsociolinguistics and macrosociolinguistics, as well as the theoretical problems peculiar to each branch.

scholarly journals Pratiques Festives Des Brouteurs En Côte d'Ivoire Entre Ritualisation De La Fête Et Categorisation Sociale Du Cybercriminel

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bamba Ladji ◽  
Raymond Nébi Bazare
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Social Categorization ◽  
Social Practices ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Ethnographic Approach ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Web

This article aims to explain the social categorization mechanism that governs the world of cybercriminals. It is therefore a practical review of the "grazer" including festive practices (sex, alcohol, psychotropic, etc.) that the ethnographic approach allowed to do. The analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data, put light on the complexity of the social processes of the Ivorian typologisation cybercriminal and festive practices related thereto. Thus the daily "bulldozer" and the ritualistic nature of existing social practices were observed over one year (February 2012 - January 2013), among 250 respondents of which 100 criminals on all 10 districts of Abidjan. This allowed to go to the evidence that festive practices are the ends pursued scams grazers. They determine their belonging to a category of cybercriminals while strengthening the perpetuation of scams on the web activities.

scholarly journals Language ideology revisited

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (263) ◽  
pp. 51-57
Author(s):  
Jillian R. Cavanaugh
Keyword(s):  
Critical Point ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Language Ideology ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Ideologies ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
Everyday Language ◽  
The Social ◽  
Point Of Departure

AbstractIn her contribution, Jillian Cavanaugh tells the story of the emergence of the concept of “language ideologies” that mediate “between the social practice of language and the socioeconomic and political structures within which it occurs.” The concept became an embedded component in analyzing the treatment of minority languages and dialects, and how power relations can be revealed through everyday language use. Today, rather than an overarching framework, language ideology has evolved into a critical point of departure for understanding the intersection between language and various forms of inequality that also require other intellectual tools to fully grasp.

The “we” vs. “they” distinction in Slovakia Hungarians' discourse

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ildikó Vančo
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Basic Component ◽  
Discourse Processes ◽  
The Social ◽  
Hungarian Language ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractLinguistic differentiation is a basic component of sociocultural differentiation: social processes create the social and linguistic meanings of variants, sometimes also contributing to language change through discourse processes. In addition to being continuously constructed, discourse is in a dialectic relationship with extra-discursive factors and can therefore be studied only when embedded in its social and linguistic contexts (cf. Fairclough 2010: 3–5, Laihonen 2009). In this article I investigate how the notion of “we” occurs in the metalinguistic discourse of Hungarian speakers in Slovakia (with reference to Slovakia Hungarians and their Hungarian language use) (cf. Kontra 2006) in contrast with the notion of “they” (with reference to Hungary Hungarians and their Hungarian language use) in lay speakers' utterances referring to language. The study reported on in this article uses directed interviews and employs discourse analysis to provide insight into the use of “we” vs. “they” and their meanings in the Slovakia Hungarian variety. It also seeks to show how certain expressions become indexical in conceptualizations of identity and how the distinction of “we” vs. “they” is created by language.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of Identity Construction among Members of Pyramid Schemes in Iran: A Critical Ethnography

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 104-117
Author(s):  
Saeed Keshavarzi ◽  
Ali Ruhani ◽  
Soheyla Hajiheidari
Keyword(s):  
Participant Observation ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Social Setting ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Sociological Perspective ◽  
Ethnographic Approach ◽  
Local Branch ◽  
The Social ◽  
Pyramid Schemes ◽  
Depth Interviews

Whereas the emergence of pyramid schemes exerted considerable impacts on people’s lives, up to now, far too little attention has been paid to the experiences of members from the sociological perspective, particularly in non-Western contexts. Therefore, this study illuminates social processes underlying participation in such schemes in a less studied social setting, Iran. This article also critically traces the social and psychological consequences of membership in pyramid schemes. We adapted a critical ethnographic approach, including participant observation of local branch offices, followed by 16 in-depth interviews with the former members of schemes. Our findings suggest that the practices deployed by the schemes lead to the building of social identity, namely, “superhuman,” mainly based on the misinterpretation of the real world. Finding the reality surrounded deliberately contrasted with the firms’ promises, the constructed identity fails, and members lose their social capital.

Sustainable Illegality: Gagauz Women in Istanbul

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bayram Unal
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Ethnic Origin ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Survival Strategies ◽  
Preferential Treatment ◽  
National Group ◽  
Turkish Migrants ◽  
Illegal Migrants ◽  
Sociological Inquiry ◽  
The Social

This study deals with survival strategies of illegal migrants in Turkey. It aims to provide an explanation for the efforts to keep illegality sustainable for one specific ethnic/national group—that is, the Gagauz of Moldova, who are of Turkish ethnic origin. In order to explicate the advantages of Turkish ethnic origin, I will focus on their preferential treatment at state-law level and in terms of the implementation of the law by police officers. In a remarkable way, the juridical framework has introduced legal ways of dealing with the illegality of ethnically Turkish migrants. From the viewpoint of migration, the presence of strategic tools of illegality forces us to ask not so much law-related questions, but to turn to a sociological inquiry of how and why they overstay their visas. Therefore, this study concludes that it is the social processes behind their illegality, rather than its form, that is more important for our understanding of the migrants’ survival strategies in destination countries.

Betwixt and Between

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shenique S. Thomas ◽  
Johnna Christian
Keyword(s):  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Ethnic Minority Groups ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Family ◽  
Incarcerated Men ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Racial And Ethnic Minority

This chapter draws from a qualitative study of incarcerated men to investigate the social processes and interactions between both correctional authorities and family members that inform their sense of belonging and legitimacy. It reveals that prison visitation rooms present a complex environment in which incarcerated men have access to discreet periods of visibility and relevance to their family members and the broader community. There are, however, several precarious aspects to these processes. The family members who are central to enhancing men’s visibility and legitimacy are primarily women from economically disadvantaged, racial, and ethnic minority groups, resulting in their own marginalization, which is compounded within prison spaces. By illuminating both the challenges and opportunities of familial connections, this chapter informs a social justice framework for understanding the experiences of both incarcerated men and their family members.

scholarly journals Impacts on Head Start Dual Language Learning Children’s Early Science Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 283
Author(s):  
Brooke Rumper ◽  
Elizabeth Frechette ◽  
Daryl B. Greenfield ◽  
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
Keyword(s):  
Head Start ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Academic Science ◽  
Teacher Language ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Spanish Science ◽  
Science Scores ◽  
Science Assessments

The present study examined the roles that language of assessment, language dominance, and teacher language use during instruction play in Dual Language Learner (DLL) science scores. A total of 255 Head Start DLL children were assessed on equated science assessments in English and Spanish. First overall differences between the two languages were examined, then associations between performance on science assessments were compared and related to children’s language dominance, teacher quantity of English and Spanish, and teachers’ academic science language. When examined as a homogeneous group, DLLs did not perform differently on English or Spanish science assessments. However, when examined heterogeneously, Spanish-dominant DLLs performed better on Spanish science assessments. The percentage of English and Spanish used by teachers did not affect children’s science scores. Teachers’ use of Spanish academic science language impacted children’s performance on science assessments, but English did not. The results have implications for the assessment of DLLs and teacher language use during instruction.

Language change across a lifetime: A historical micro-perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (s2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Bergs
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
The Social ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Linguistic Behavior ◽  
Micro Analysis

Abstract This paper focuses on the micro-analysis of historical data, which allows us to investigate language use across the lifetime of individual speakers. Certain concepts, such as social network analysis or communities of practice, put individual speakers and their social embeddedness and dynamicity at the center of attention. This means that intra-speaker variation can be described and analyzed in quite some detail in certain historical data sets. The paper presents some exemplary empirical analyses of the diachronic linguistic behavior of individual speakers/writers in fifteenth to seventeenth century England. It discusses the social factors that influence this behavior, with an emphasis on the methodological and theoretical challenges and opportunities when investigating intra-speaker variation and change.

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