Social class, language attitudes, and language use

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-30
Author(s):  
Binmei Liu

Abstract Few previous studies have examined the impact of social class on language attitudes and language use in mainland China. A total of 215 questionnaires were collected from a university in China for this study. The participants were classified into four social classes: upper middle class, middle middle class, lower middle class, and lower class. Then an individual interview was conducted with 10 students. Findings show that the students from the upper middle class had significantly lower attitudes toward local dialects and they had the lowest percentage of current use of dialect at home. The study adds evidence to findings of previous studies that local dialects might face certain danger of maintenance. It also shows that this change would start from people from the upper middle class. The study also points out a possible future tendency that social class privilege will play a more significant role in English learning and education.

The present paper examines the impact of extra-linguistic variables (gender and social class) on the linguistic interaction between emphasis and manner, on the one hand, and voice, on the other hand, in Urban Jordanian Arabic. To achieve this goal, 40 participants produced 12 monosyllabic CVC minimal pairs with the target consonant (plain or emphatic) occurring word-initially. Measurements taken were F1, F2, and F3 at vowel onset and midpoint positions. Acoustically, it was found that emphasis was stronger following a stop than following a fricative, and it is more pronounced following a voiced consonant than following a voiceless one. However, the extra-linguistic factors did not have a strong bearing on these linguistic interactions. In general, the interaction between emphasis and manner or voice was not influenced by gender or social class. An exception to this finding was the overlap between emphasis and manner at F1 onset, where the interplay of both gender and social class affected the linguistic interaction. In particular, upper-class males produced stronger emphasis following stops than following fricatives, whereas lower-middle class males produced stronger emphasis following a fricative than following a stop.


2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Tereza Lins-Dyer ◽  
Larry Nucci

The impact of social class was explored on Brazilian mothers' and daughters' conceptions of who should, and who actually would control decisions regarding the daughters' actions. Participants were 126 middle class and 126 lower class girls aged 11–16 years, and their mothers. No social class differences were found in daughters' judgments about who should control decisions. Lower class daughters perceived mothers as exerting greater actual control than did middle class daughters. Lower class mothers claimed higher control over prudential and conventional matters than did middle class mothers. Findings that daughters and mothers in both social classes viewed personal matters as under the daughters' control challenged the notion that interdependence is fostered by the mother–daughter relationship and are consistent with more recent views that an individualism–collectivism dichotomy should not be used to characterize cultures.


2021 ◽  
pp. 000169932110520
Author(s):  
Anne Lise Ellingsæter ◽  
Ragni Hege Kitterød ◽  
Marianne Nordli Hansen

Time intensive parenting has spread in Western countries. This study contributes to the literature on parental time use, aiming to deepen our understanding of the relationship between parental childcare time and social class. Based on time-diary data (2010–2011) from Norway, and a concept of social class that links parents’ amount and composition of economic and cultural capital, we examine the time spent by parents on childcare activities. The analysis shows that class and gender intersect: intensive motherhood, as measured by time spent on active childcare, including developmental childcare activities thought to stimulate children's skills, is practised by all mothers. A small group of mothers in the economic upper-middle class fraction spend even more time on childcare than the other mothers. The time fathers spend on active childcare is less than mothers’, and intra-class divisions are notable. Not only lower-middle class fathers, but also cultural/balanced upper-middle class fathers spend the most time on intensive fathering. Economic upper-middle and working-class fathers spend the least time on childcare. This new insight into class patterns in parents’ childcare time challenges the widespread notion of different cultural childcare logics in the middle class, compared to the working class.


1973 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 567-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Lowe ◽  
Gary Ritchey

The relationship of age, social class, and ethnic identity to altruism was explored. 800 addressed but unstamped letters were dropped (‘lost“) at 4 locations, junior high, senior high, college, and adult sites, evenly distributed between 2 cities, one populated mainly by upper middle-class residents, and one populated mainly by middle and lower middle-class residents. One-half the letters were addressed to someone with a Spanish surname, and one-half to a Caucasian surname. Significant differences in the age and social class variables were found, but not in the ethnic identity variable. Older and upper middle-class Ss displayed more altruism as measured by their greater return rate of the lost letters.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 939-944
Author(s):  
Jyoti Kumari ◽  
Ritu Dubey ◽  
Dipak Kumar Bose ◽  
Vandana Gupta

As per the census of 2011 the tribal population consists of 8.6% while it was 8.2% according to the census of 2001 in India. This paper addresses the socio-economic status of Tharu tribes in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. The socio economic status is an important determinant of health, nutritional status, mortality and morbidity of an individual. Socio Economic Status also influences the accessibility, affordability, acceptability and actual utilization of available health facilities. To classify the socio-economic status of the respondents, Uday Pareek and Trivedi scale has been adopted with subject to preliminary test and slight modification as per the need of the study. Measuring the socio-economic conditions of Tharu tribes from Uday Pareek and Trivedi scale, it can be concluded that all the Tharu tribes belong to four categories viz: Upper Middle Class, Middle Class, Lower Middle Class and Lower Class. 0.28% respondent belonged to upper middle class, 5.33% were middle class, 75.56% belonged to lower middle class and 18.83% to lower class. The findings can be beneficial for implementing projects that can help in improving their situation of backwardness. 


Author(s):  
Neeta Singh

The Present study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics of Lala Lajpat Rai & Associated Hospital GSVM Medical College, Kanpur. All the children aged between 1-5 years, admitted in Department of Pediatrics were asked to participate in this study. Information regarding vaccination, socio-demographic factors was collected from their parents and care takers. Accuracy and validity of information were confirmed by immunization card in possible situation and inspection for BCG scar. Hospital based descriptive cross-sectional study.In upper class, 100% of children were completely immunized. In upper middle class, 80.8% children had complete and 19.1% partial immunization status. No one remained unimmunized in upper middle class. In lower middle class, 33.9% of children were completely immunized, 59.6% partially immunized and 6.4% remained unimmunized.Children who were 1stin birth order, had maximum immunization coverage (44.8%). Minimum immunization coverage was in birth order >4 (3.2%). P value is <0.001, indicates the significant relation between birth order and immunization status. As birth order increased, immunization coverage decreased. In this present hospital based descriptive cross –sectional study, we found that 51.2% children were fully immunized, 45.6% were partially immunized and 3.2% children were unimmunized as per National immunization schedule. Children belonging to upper class were 100% completely immunized. In upper middle class 80.8% children in lower middle class 33.9%, in upper lower class 55.7% and in lower class 50.9% children were completely immunized respectively. In lower class immunization coverage was higher than lower middle class. Droprate for BCG to pentavalent 1 was 10.64%, similarly dropout from BCG to measles was 12.7%. Dropout rate of pentavalent 1 to pentavalent 2 was 1.4%, pentavalent2 to pentavalent3 was 2.6%. It indicates that system is not able to hold the child once registered. Steps for improvement should focus on reducing the drop rate from BCG to pentavalent and measles.


1978 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph D. Norman ◽  
Ricardo Martinez

To resolve conflict between earlier studies finding contradictory recommendations on need for professional help of middle- vs lower-class persons given normal, neurotic, and psychotic behavior descriptions, and to explore ethnicity effects, 92 students (70 Anglo, 22 Chicano) rated fictitious biographical vignettes. A pro-middle-class bias was found consistent with Routh and King's study but inconsistent with that by Schofield and Oakes. Also contrary to the latter, treatment recommendations agreed with ratings. Ethnicity bias appeared, since Anglos recommended Chicanos more often for involuntary hospitalization. Inconsistency between the two earlier studies results from a methodological variation, discussed in this study.


1975 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leon J. Schofield ◽  
James D. Oakes

An autobiographical vignette technique was used with 14 mental hospital attendants and 14 college students rating the severity of emotional problems and recommending various forms of treatment for fictitious individuals. A social-class bias was observed; the lower-class individuals were seen as having a greater need for help than the middle-class individuals, particularly when both were given descriptions of psychotic behavior. However, the recommendation of treatment was not affected by the social class of the individuals. The results are not consistent with those of a recent study by Routh and King which showed middle-class individuals were rated as having a greater need for help than lower-class individuals using a similar vignette technique.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (01) ◽  
pp. 115-118
Author(s):  
Anam Zulfiqar ◽  
Sadaf Zulfiqar ◽  
Shahana Rahat

Objectives: To record the rate of asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant females.Period: November 2015 to February 2016. Settings: Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi.Material & Methods: 200 pregnant females for regular pre-natal visits during 2nd and 3rdtrimester of pregnancy between 18-50 years of age were included. Sterile bottles were used tocollect the urine sample from the patients and sent to the hospital laboratory for the evaluationof asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant females. Results: We recorded most of the casesbetween 18-30 years of age i.e. 56%(n=112) whereas 44%(n=88) were between 31-50 yearsof age, mean+sd: 28.76+5.42 years. Frequency of asymptomatic bacteriuria was recordedin 22%(n=44). We found 21(23.86%) out of 88 cases had lower class, 15(23.44%) out of 64cases had middle class, 7(17.95%) out of 39 cases had upper middle class while 1(11.11%)out of 9 cases had higher class. Conclusion: Asymptomatic bacteriuria is not an uncommoncomplication during pregnancy, however, regular screening may help to prevent and reducethis morbidity at early stage.


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