SOCIOLINGUISTIC

The Social Stratification of English in New York City by William Labov

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The Social Stratification of English in New York City by William Labov

Introduction

It is well known that the language does not exist as a system in itself, in isolation. Every statement takes a different meaning depending on social context. To clarify the relationship between form and function of language should take into account both the social aspect and the subjective caller. This view is the starting point for many theories and research. Consequently, there are terms synonymous sociolinguistic; the language of sociology and ethnography of speaking. These concepts are distributed differently major emphasis on linguistics or sociology.

William Labov points to the social nature of language. As a result of research carried out in the community of New York, emphasizes the role of language as an indicator of belonging to a certain social group. His research shows that language is dynamic, subject to the same transformation as the other, included in the research of sociologists and psychologists. Knowing that language always occurs in a context and results from the individual characteristics of the caller and leading to the formation of hybrid disciplines such as sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics. The achievements of these disciplines can be seen in many areas. The above mentioned sociology of language is reflected in the rhetoric, advertising, or the theory of the impact of mass media (Dziekonska, 2012, pp. 33-37).

The Social Stratification of English in New York City

Overview

Variation related to social class in pronunciation is a major focus for Labov. A seminal study on the matter is that he has made about the pronunciation of “r” in New York, as part of his doctoral thesis, The Social Stratification of English in New York City Department Stores, in 1963. The book was republished in 1966 entitled "The Social Stratification of English in New York City". He went to realize it in three chains of clothing stores targeting socially unconventional clienteles: Saks Fifth Avenue, whose offer was categorized as luxurious; Macy's sent to the middle classes and S. Klein in targeting the lower classes. Having chosen the stores so that each time, nylon stockings are sold on the fourth floor; the investigative approach was to pretend to ask customers where they were, equipped a recorder. From there, he aimed to study the variation in pronunciation of the same sequence, the upper classes to lower classes.

The result of this investigation showed that the chain's most luxurious, Saks Fifth Avenue, is also one in which most of “r” were pronounced to such an extent that they were indicative of an overcorrection relative to written forms of corresponding words. However, in S. Klein's insistence on the pronunciation of “r” in various contexts is almost nonexistent.

Sociolinguistic patterns

William Labov went on a small island off the coast of Massachusetts, Martha's Vineyard. During his stay in this island where tourism was growing, he finds that the enthusiasm of indigenous upscale vacationers to receive varies widely from person to person. In addition, he notes a ...