Podcast
Questions and Answers
What do the studies by Cameron and Richardson show about the construction of gendered identities?
What do the studies by Cameron and Richardson show about the construction of gendered identities?
- That they are only constructed by women
- That they are only constructed through written texts
- That they are fixed and unchangeable
- That they are performed and enacted through language and talk (correct)
What is a key point made by Blommaert about identity?
What is a key point made by Blommaert about identity?
- That it is solely constructed by the individual
- That identity is fixed and unchangeable across time and space
- That it is only influenced by one's physical space
- That a lot of what happens in the field of identity is done by others, not by oneself (correct)
What does Blommaert argue that place does to people?
What does Blommaert argue that place does to people?
- It only affects their social class
- It defines them, both in their own eyes and in the eyes of others (correct)
- It has no impact on their identity
- It only influences their occupation
How does Bucholtz describe identity?
How does Bucholtz describe identity?
What is a characteristic of identities, according to Blommaert?
What is a characteristic of identities, according to Blommaert?
How do individuals, according to Blommaert, shift and express different identities?
How do individuals, according to Blommaert, shift and express different identities?
What is true about the relationship between different aspects of identity?
What is true about the relationship between different aspects of identity?
What is implied by the concept of identity as a 'repertoire of styles'?
What is implied by the concept of identity as a 'repertoire of styles'?
What determines the choice of language or language variety in a given situation?
What determines the choice of language or language variety in a given situation?
What is an example of a social factor that influences language choice?
What is an example of a social factor that influences language choice?
In the TV show The Good Wife, what is a factor that influences Alicia Florrick's language use?
In the TV show The Good Wife, what is a factor that influences Alicia Florrick's language use?
What is the main topic of research in Qing Zhang's study?
What is the main topic of research in Qing Zhang's study?
In what city did Qing Zhang conduct her research on language variation and group membership?
In what city did Qing Zhang conduct her research on language variation and group membership?
What is a key factor in determining the language variety used in a given situation?
What is a key factor in determining the language variety used in a given situation?
What is an example of a domain that can influence language choice?
What is an example of a domain that can influence language choice?
According to Holmes (2008), what are important factors in accounting for language choice?
According to Holmes (2008), what are important factors in accounting for language choice?
What does Zhang's 2012 study focus on?
What does Zhang's 2012 study focus on?
What is the term used to describe the possession of a certain variety of Mandarin Chinese?
What is the term used to describe the possession of a certain variety of Mandarin Chinese?
What is a common characteristic of discourse communities?
What is a common characteristic of discourse communities?
According to Eckert, what do people do with social meaning?
According to Eckert, what do people do with social meaning?
What is the characteristic of the cosmopolitan variety of Mandarin Chinese identified by Zhang?
What is the characteristic of the cosmopolitan variety of Mandarin Chinese identified by Zhang?
What is an example of a discourse community within another discourse community?
What is an example of a discourse community within another discourse community?
What is the main argument made by Litossoleti, Eckert, and Pennycook?
What is the main argument made by Litossoleti, Eckert, and Pennycook?
What is a key aspect of the training of telephone operators in call centres?
What is a key aspect of the training of telephone operators in call centres?
What is the result of possessing a certain variety of Mandarin Chinese, according to Zhang?
What is the result of possessing a certain variety of Mandarin Chinese, according to Zhang?
What is a common goal of call centre workers?
What is a common goal of call centre workers?
What is a characteristic of the communication style of telephone operators in call centres?
What is a characteristic of the communication style of telephone operators in call centres?
What is the term used to describe the new transnational professional identity associated with a certain variety of Mandarin Chinese?
What is the term used to describe the new transnational professional identity associated with a certain variety of Mandarin Chinese?
What do people do with their ways of speaking, according to Eckert?
What do people do with their ways of speaking, according to Eckert?
What is a feature of the discourse community of a telephone call centre?
What is a feature of the discourse community of a telephone call centre?
What is a potential benefit of training telephone operators to communicate in a particular way?
What is a potential benefit of training telephone operators to communicate in a particular way?
What is a key aspect of discourse communities?
What is a key aspect of discourse communities?
Why do authors such as Thurlow, Lengel and Tomic prefer to talk about identity online rather than online identity?
Why do authors such as Thurlow, Lengel and Tomic prefer to talk about identity online rather than online identity?
What is a motivation behind people engaging in casual conversations, according to Eggins and Slade?
What is a motivation behind people engaging in casual conversations, according to Eggins and Slade?
What did a Taiwanese user in Tsang's study discover about their online interactions?
What did a Taiwanese user in Tsang's study discover about their online interactions?
What do Eggins and Slade argue about casual conversation?
What do Eggins and Slade argue about casual conversation?
What is a common way in which characters in Sex and the City establish social identities?
What is a common way in which characters in Sex and the City establish social identities?
What do people often change about themselves when communicating online?
What do people often change about themselves when communicating online?
What is a function of casual conversation, according to Eggins and Slade?
What is a function of casual conversation, according to Eggins and Slade?
What do authors such as Thurlow, Lengel and Tomic suggest about online identity?
What do authors such as Thurlow, Lengel and Tomic suggest about online identity?
Study Notes
Discourse Communities
- A person can be a member of multiple discourse communities, such as a university student, community volunteer, and church group member.
- Each discourse community has its own communication style, values, and beliefs.
- A discourse community can have sub-communities within it, such as academic departments within a university.
Characteristics of a Discourse Community
- Shared goals and values
- Common ways of sharing information
- Specific language or terminology
- Particular genres and styles of communication
- Examples: telephone call centers, academic departments, and social groups
Language Choice and Social Context
- Language choice is influenced by social factors, such as who we are speaking to, the social context, and the topic of conversation.
- Social distance, formality, and status of speakers also impact language choice.
- Examples: The Good Wife TV show, where the lead character uses different language styles in different social and professional settings.
Identity and Language
- Language is a social and local practice that reflects a person's identity, ideologies, and beliefs.
- People fashion their ways of speaking to create and establish social identities.
- Identity is not just performed by individuals but also recognized by others.
- Identities can be temporary, and people can shift between different identities depending on the context.
Identity and Performance
- People perform and enact particular identities through language and behavior.
- Examples: male US college students constructing heterosexual masculinity through talk, and male cricket club members using language to talk about women.
- Identities are not independent of other aspects of identity, such as social class, occupation, and sexuality.
Online Identities
- People can create and present different identities online, such as changing essential characteristics like age, ethnicity, or physical appearance.
- Examples: a Taiwanese user of online chat rooms who found more success in getting people to chat with him by presenting himself as Caucasian rather than Chinese.
Casual Conversation and Identity
- Casual conversation is a highly structured and functionally motivated activity that negotiates social identities.
- Examples: characters in the TV show Sex and the City using casual conversation to establish and express social identities, such as gender, social class, and subcultural affiliations.
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Description
Learn about discourse communities, their shared goals and values, and how individuals interact within multiple groups. Explore the varying communication styles and prominent beliefs in different communities.
