Social Class And Accents

Question 0

What date did Labov carry out his department store study?

Answer 0

1972

Question 1

Name two case studies used for social class

Answer 1

• Labov’s NY rhoticity in department store study

- Trudgill’s Norwich -ing study

Question 2

What year was Trudgill’s Norwich study carried out?

Answer 2

1974 in response to Labov’s NY study

Question 3

What was the methodology of Labov’s department store research?

Answer 3

A researcher entered 3 different classed department stores in NY and asked an assistant for an item with the answer “forth floor” this was then asked to be repeated for emphatic and casual responses

Question 4

What was the aim of Labov’s NY study?

Answer 4

Pronouncing the rhotic -r carries higher prestige, did the assistants fit this

Question 5

What were the three department stores used in Labov’s study?

Answer 5

Upper market - Saks
Middle - macys
Lower - kleins

Question 6

What was Labov’s hypothesis for his department store study?

Answer 6

The higher the social prestige, the more likely and the stronger the rhoticity in ‘forth’

Question 7

What were the percentage results of Labov’s department store study?

Answer 7

62% Saks
51% Macys
20% Kleins
All used some rhoticity

Question 8

What was the main feature that Trudgill’s Norwich study focused on?

Answer 8

Pronunciation of the suffix -ing

Question 9

Were there any possible problems with Trudgill’s Norwich study methodology?

Answer 9

Observer’s paradox

Question 10

What was the main aim of Trudgill’s investigation into -ing?

Answer 10

To test whether pronunciation reflected social differences and gender

Question 11

What were the findings of Trudgill’s Norwich study?

Answer 11

The lower the social class the greater the likelihood of non-standard usage e.g. 'Jumpin'
Women were found to use non-standard variations less than men

Question 12

What were the conclusions found from women using the non-standard variations less than men?

Answer 12

That women are more ‘status conscious’ and are more aware of the social significance

Question 13

What are Howard Giles’ 3 criteria on which people base attitudes? And what is the added 4th (not by giles)?

Answer 13

• precision
• correctness
• aesthetics
• associations

Question 14

Who identified the 3 criteria on which people base attitudes to linguistic varieties?

Answer 14

Howard Giles

Question 15

What is Howard Giles’ idea on precision about?

Answer 15

• people often use the words ‘lazy’ or ‘sloppy’ when talking about non-standard varieties
• glottaling
• h dropping

Question 16

What is Giles’ idea on correctness about?

Answer 16

• people object to non-standard varieties for being ‘incorrect’
• all about context

Question 17

What is Gilea’ 3rd criteria on aesthetics about?

Answer 17

• talk about accents as being harsh sounding or ugly

- apparently based on sound quality

Question 18

What is the 4th criteria on which attitudes of linguistic varieties is based on called? And what is this?

Answer 18

Associations
Urban localities are often sEen in a negative light due to crime and deprivation
People’s negative attitudes towards a place which a variation is associated with causes negative views towards accent

Question 19

What is a matched guise study? What can they be used to research?

Answer 19

Where a lecturer appeared in a different guise

Used to study attitudes to different accents and regional variations

Question 20

Explain the Giles matched guise study

What year was this done in?

Answer 20

1975
A university lecturer gave the same lecture to 16-18 year old students
1 in RP and one in a Birmingham accent
Both sets of students were asked to rate him on intelligence and friendliness
RP was considered significantly higher intelligence than Birmingham
Birmingham was rated as friendlier

Question 21

What was the Wood matched guise study?

What date was this?

Answer 21

2002
A group of young female students were given a talk in RP, Norwich and West London accents
RP was rated higher than average intelligence but less pleasing than the Norwich and west London
There was no difference in the rated social class

Question 22

What can we conclude by comparing the two matched guise studies from 1975 and 2002?

Answer 22

Attitudes changes slightly as RP is no longer considered as more beautiful or higher class

Question 23

What does Trudgill’s Triangle show?

Answer 23

Variation in accent
Wider variation in the working class
Little variation in the upper class

Question 24

Social Network Theory:

What is the social network theory?

Answer 24

The idea that if you have a dense ‘social network’ you don’t have to change accent/speech and makes you speak the same way all the time - enforcing linguistic norms
e.g. work, socialise, college, hobbies, same neighbourhood with same groups of people

Question 25

Social Network Theory: SEE NOTES ON ONENOTE

Answer 25

SEE NOTES ON ONENOTE AND LEARN

Question 26

What were the 3 communities used in the Milroy Belfast study?

Answer 26

• Ballymacarratt - high male employment
• Hammer - high male unemployment
• Clonnard - high male unemployment

Question 27

Milroy Belfast study: what was the network strength score based on?

Answer 27

• belonging to a high density group
• ties of kinship in the neighbourhood
• working with at least 2 others from the same area