scholarly journals Negotiating social meanings in a plural society: social perceptions of variants of /l/ in Singapore English

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasper Hong Sim

This study illustrates how differential speech features that emerged from language contact and acquisition in a linguistically and culturally pluralistic society can accrue diverse social-indexical meanings over time. The social perceptions towards three variants of coda /l/ in Singapore English, namely dark-l, the variant associated with prescriptive norms, and clear-l and vocalised-l, which are variants that arose through language contact, were examined. The findings revealed that the meanings of the local variants are equally diverse, but have evolved differently; vocalised-l is an emerging local standard, whereas clear-l remained largely stigmatised. The diverse meanings are also shown to be connected by social factors within a larger network of interrelated signs, and that their interpretations are dependent on the hearer’s experiences, such that we are observing different parts of the sociolinguistic reality. Restricted experiences with the social world and regulation of social perception were also shown to potentially contribute to accent-based prejudices.

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Podesva ◽  
Jermay Reynolds ◽  
Patrick Callier ◽  
Jessica Baptiste

AbstractPrevious studies on released /t/ collectively suggest that the linguistic feature is associated with intelligence and education, social meanings that can be recruited in constructing articulate personas. This study examines the production of released /t/ by six prominent U.S. political figures, as well as the social meanings listeners attribute to the variant. Employing a matched guise technique facilitated by digital stimulus manipulation, we find that the social meanings associated with released /t/ are constrained by linguistic and social factors. Regarding the former, word-medial /t/ releases carry stronger social meanings than those appearing word-finally. With respect to social factors, listener interpretations vary according to the identity of the speaker and knowledge of how frequently particular speakers produce /t/ releases. Thus, even though conventionalized associations between linguistic forms and meanings can be drawn upon to construct articulate personas, not all speakers can do so with equal effectiveness.


2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Thomason

AbstractTwo claims made by Thomason & Kaufman (1988) have elicited particularly strong reactions from specialists in language contact: first, that there are no absolute linguistic constraints on the kinds or numbers of features that can be transferred from one language to another; and second, that when social factors and linguistic factors might be expected to push in opposite directions in a language contact situation, the social factors will be the primary determinants of the linguistic outcome. Both claims have frequently been challenged in recent years, for instance by Gillian Sankoff, Ruth King, and Carol Myers-Scotton. To some extent the challenges are based on a misunderstanding of our arguments; most seriously, some critics argue that we dismiss linguistic predictors as entirely irrelevant to an analysis of contact-induced change. Since we discussed linguistic as well as social predictors of contactinduced change, it isn't true that, as King 2002 puts it, we claimed that 'linguistic factors… play no role' in determining the outcome of language contact (and Sankoff 2001 has a similar statement). In part, however, the objections to our position are based on genuine theoretical and/or empirical disagreements between Thomason & Kaufman and their critics. This paper explores these disagreements in an effort to arrive at a better understanding of the relative importance of social and linguistic predictors in language contact situations. My main conclusions are these: although critics have made impressive contributions toward specifying linguistic predictors, there is still no good reason to abandon the Thomason & Kaufman position (mainly because it was much less extreme than some readers have assumed); and much more work needs to be done to make even rough predictions about the relative impact of particular social and linguistic factors, and their interactions, in particular contact situations.


Languages ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Justin Davidson

Multilingual communities often exhibit asymmetry in directionality by which the majority language exerts greater influence on the minority language. In the case of Spanish in contact with Catalan, the asymmetry of directionality, favoring stronger influence of Spanish as a majority language over Catalan, is complicated by the unique sociolinguistic statuses afforded to different varieties of Catalan. In order to empirically substantiate the social underpinnings of directionality in language contact settings, the present study examines the variable voicing and devoicing of intervocalic alveolar fricatives in Spanish, Barcelonan Catalan, and Valencian Catalan as processes that are historically endogenous and equally linguistically motivated in both languages. Intervocalic fricatives in both languages were elicited using a phrase-list reading task, alongside sociolinguistic interviews for attitudinal data, administered to 96 Catalan–Spanish bilinguals stratified by gender, age, and language dominance in Barcelona and Valencia, Spain. Patterns of sociolinguistic stratification consistent with community-level changes in progress favoring either Catalan-like voicing or Spanish-like devoicing varied by community, with a stronger influence of Catalan on Spanish in Barcelona and Spanish on Catalan in Valencia. These asymmetries, corroborated by attitudinal differences afforded to Catalan and Spanish in Barcelona and Valencia, ultimately reinforce the role of social factors in language contact outcomes.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-60
Author(s):  
Muhammad Aji Nugroho

Masyarakat majemuk bagian dari sunnatullah, yang memberikan sumbangan besar bagi munculnya ketegangan, konflik dan krisis sosial, sehingga tuntutan reformasi sistem pendidikan Islam yang terkesan sebagai alat indoktrinasi yang anti realitas multikultural perlu dilakukan agar mampu menciptakan tatanan kehidupan masyarakat yang damai, harmonis, menjunjung tinggi nilai kemanusiaan, dan mampu beradaptasi dengan berbagai golongan yang berbeda namun tetap tidak terlepas dari akar budaya, agama, jati dirinya, dalam masyarakat yang plural sebagai insān kamīl (manusia paripurna). Pendidikan Islam berwawasan multikultural hadir bertujuan untuk: 1) menghapus prasangka “prejudice”, dan sekaligus untuk melatih dan membangun karakter siswa agar mampu bersikap demokratis, humanis dan pluralis; 2) membangun pemahaman keberagaman siswa yang inklusif sehingga mampu mengeliminir jarak sosial antar peserta didik yang berbeda agama guna terciptanya persaudaraan sejati; 3) mengajarkan bagaimana cara hidup ditengah pluralisme bangsanya; 4) memberikan perlindungan dari diskriminasi; 5) mengakui dan meng-akomodasi kebebasan individu kelompok minoritas, seperti berbicara, berkelompok, menjalankan agama dan sebagainya yang berakar dari nilai-nilai kebebasan, kesetaraan dan demokrasi, sehingga hak-hak kultural minoritas dapat terakomodasi dengan baik, yang berarti bahwa setiap peserta didik mempunyai hak untuk masuk dalam budaya tertentu, ikut dibentuk dan membentuk budaya itu. Plural society is a part of sunnatullah, which contributed greatly to the emergence of tension, conflict and social crisis, so that the demands for reform Islamic education system that impressed as a indoctrination of anti realities of multicultural needs to be done on creating a social order that is peaceful, harmonious, uphold humanity, and able to adapt to different groups but still cannot be separated from the roots of culture, religion, identity, in pluralistic society as insān kamīl. Islamic Education aims to present a multicultural conception: 1) remove the prejudice, and to train and build the character of students to be able to be democratic, humanist and pluralist; 2) build understanding of the diversity of students' inclusive to eliminate the social distance between learners of different religions to create true brotherhood; 3 ) teaches how to live amid pluralism nation; 4) providing protection from discrimination; 5) recognizes accommodation individual freedom of minority groups, such as talking, group, practice religion and so on are rooted in the values of freedom, equality and democracy, so cultural rights of minorities can be accommodated properly, which means that every student has the right to enter into a particular culture, are formed and participate in shaping the culture.


Crisis ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoon A. Leenaars ◽  
David Lester

Canada's rate of suicide varies from province to province. The classical theory of suicide, which attempts to explain the social suicide rate, stems from Durkheim, who argued that low levels of social integration and regulation are associated with high rates of suicide. The present study explored whether social factors (divorce, marriage, and birth rates) do in fact predict suicide rates over time for each province (period studied: 1950-1990). The results showed a positive association between divorce rates and suicide rates, and a negative association between birth rates and suicide rates. Marriage rates showed no consistent association, an anomaly as compared to research from other nations.


Author(s):  
Sloane Speakman

In examining the strikingly high prevalence rates of HIV in many parts of Africa, reaching as high as 5% in some areas, how does the discourse promoted by the predominant religions across the continent, Islam and Christianity, affect the outlook of their followers on the epidemic? This question becomes even more intriguing after discovering the dramatic difference in rate of HIV prevalence between Muslims and Christians in Africa, confirmed by studies that have found a negative relationship to exist between HIV prevalence and being Muslim in Africa, even in Sub-Saharan African nations. Why does this gap in prevalence rates exist? Does Islam advocate participating in less risky behavior more so than Christianity? By comparing the social construction, epidemiological understanding and public responses among Muslim populations in Africa with Christian ones, it becomes apparent that many similarities exist between the two regarding discourse and that, rather than religious discourse itself, other social factors, such as circumcision practices, contribute more to the disparity in HIV prevalence than originally thought.


2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (9) ◽  
pp. 154-160
Author(s):  
Dr. Kartikey Koti

The essential idea of this assessment is investigate the social factors affecting particular theorists' decisions making limit at Indian Stock Markets. In the examination coordinated standard of direct is Classified subject to two estimations the first is Heuristic (Decision making) and the resulting one is prospect.. For the assessment coordinated the data used is basic natured which is assembled through a sorted out survey from 100 individual money related authorities based out in Hubli and Dharwad city, Karnataka State in India on an accommodating way. The respondents were both sex and overwhelming part male were 68% . These theorists were having a spot with the age bundle between35-45 which is 38%. These respondents have completed their graduation were around 56%. These respondents had work inclusion of 5 to 10 years which is 45% and the majority of which were used in government portion which is 56%. Their compensation was between 4 to 6 Lakh and were fit for placing assets into business areas. The money related experts were widely masterminded placing assets into different portfolios like 32% in Share market and 20 % in Fixed store. These examiners mode to known various endeavor streets were through News, family and allies.  


2020 ◽  
pp. 27-37
Author(s):  
E. М. Hayrapetyan ◽  
N. N. Pokrovskaia ◽  
A. B. Chernykh

Fundamental sociological theories of migration study reveal the motives for an individual’s and households’ making decision to migrate, as well as the social factors and consequences of the unfolding of migration processes. Structural changes taking place in society caused by both the innovative nature of economic growth as a whole and the digitalization and expansion of information and telecommunications technologies imply the perception of the phenomenon of migration not only as a territorial movement of the population in space for a long period. Digitalization and development of remote forms of work, in particular, reduces the need for physical concentration of human resources, which allows people to choose the most comfortable places to live. Special attention is paid to the Diaspora, which is one of the important tools for solving communication difficulties. The sociological analysis of migration processes in Armenia illustrates the application of the main concepts, in particular, networked migration and reliance on the Diaspora.


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