40 Questions
What do the studies by Cameron and Richardson show about the construction of gendered identities?
That they are performed and enacted through language and talk
What is a key point made by Blommaert about identity?
That a lot of what happens in the field of identity is done by others, not by oneself
What does Blommaert argue that place does to people?
It defines them, both in their own eyes and in the eyes of others
How does Bucholtz describe identity?
As a social accomplishment
What is a characteristic of identities, according to Blommaert?
They are temporary and context-dependent
How do individuals, according to Blommaert, shift and express different identities?
By frequently and delicately shifting places
What is true about the relationship between different aspects of identity?
They are interdependent and influence each other
What is implied by the concept of identity as a 'repertoire of styles'?
That identity is composed of multiple and diverse styles or ways of being
What determines the choice of language or language variety in a given situation?
The domain and social factors of the interaction
What is an example of a social factor that influences language choice?
The social distance between speakers
In the TV show The Good Wife, what is a factor that influences Alicia Florrick's language use?
The role she is playing at the time
What is the main topic of research in Qing Zhang's study?
Language variation and group membership
In what city did Qing Zhang conduct her research on language variation and group membership?
Beijing
What is a key factor in determining the language variety used in a given situation?
The topic of the interaction
What is an example of a domain that can influence language choice?
Family
According to Holmes (2008), what are important factors in accounting for language choice?
Social factors such as who we are speaking to and the social context
What does Zhang's 2012 study focus on?
The language use of Chinese television talk show hosts
What is the term used to describe the possession of a certain variety of Mandarin Chinese?
Linguistic capital
What is a common characteristic of discourse communities?
They have shared goals and values.
According to Eckert, what do people do with social meaning?
They produce and reproduce it
What is the characteristic of the cosmopolitan variety of Mandarin Chinese identified by Zhang?
It is a mix of English and Mandarin
What is an example of a discourse community within another discourse community?
An academic department
What is the main argument made by Litossoleti, Eckert, and Pennycook?
Language is both a social and local practice
What is a key aspect of the training of telephone operators in call centres?
Being trained to answer the phone with a smile in their voice.
What is the result of possessing a certain variety of Mandarin Chinese, according to Zhang?
Material and symbolic rewards
What is a common goal of call centre workers?
To provide customer service and make sales.
What is a characteristic of the communication style of telephone operators in call centres?
They speak clearly and at a moderate pace.
What is the term used to describe the new transnational professional identity associated with a certain variety of Mandarin Chinese?
Cosmopolitan identity
What do people do with their ways of speaking, according to Eckert?
They fashion them to fit their personae
What is a feature of the discourse community of a telephone call centre?
They have a unique terminology and vocabulary.
What is a potential benefit of training telephone operators to communicate in a particular way?
It can improve the overall customer experience.
What is a key aspect of discourse communities?
They may have shared values and beliefs.
Why do authors such as Thurlow, Lengel and Tomic prefer to talk about identity online rather than online identity?
To acknowledge that online interactions may not reflect real-life characteristics
What is a motivation behind people engaging in casual conversations, according to Eggins and Slade?
To negotiate social identities and interpersonal relations
What did a Taiwanese user in Tsang's study discover about their online interactions?
That they had more success when they presented themselves as Caucasian
What do Eggins and Slade argue about casual conversation?
That it is a highly structured and functionally motivated activity
What is a common way in which characters in Sex and the City establish social identities?
Through their use of casual conversation
What do people often change about themselves when communicating online?
Their essential characteristics, such as age or ethnicity
What is a function of casual conversation, according to Eggins and Slade?
To negotiate social identities and interpersonal relations
What do authors such as Thurlow, Lengel and Tomic suggest about online identity?
That it can be manipulated and changed
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.
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.
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