Intersectional Sociolinguistics (original) (raw)
Related papers
Integrating Intersectionality in Language, Gender, and Sexuality Research
Language and Linguistics Compass, 2015
In this paper, I argue for the need to integrate intersectionality theory more fully in language, gender, and sexuality research. I outline the basic principles of what an intersectional approach to identity and identity-linked speech entails, focusing particularly on the belief that an adequate description of lived experience, and hence social practice, requires us to consider the ways in which multiple systems of social categorization (e.g., gender and sexuality, race/ethnicity, social class, and place) intersect with one another in dynamic and mutually constitutive ways. I review research on the linguistic perception and production of gender and sexuality that has adopted an intersectional perspective to date and argue that while certain aspects of the theory have long had a foothold in work in this area, the field's engagement with the full ramifications of intersectionality as an analytical framework has been partial. I conclude with suggestions about how to anchor a more comprehensive approach to intersectionality in sociolinguistic research.
All of the Above: New Coalitions in Sociocultural Linguistics (coauthored with Mary Bucholtz)
Journal of Sociolinguistics, 2008
As the history of sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology shows, a sharp distinction between these fields and others concerned with the sociocultural investigation of language is untenable given their significant common ground. The article describes the current state of relations between sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, and similar approaches to language, culture, and society. It then locates theoretical, methodological, thematic, and political points of commonality and explores emerging areas of productive dialogue among these closely overlapping research traditions. Two analytic examples, one focused on race talk in sociolinguistic interviews with European American youth and the other on ideologies of English among sexual and gender minorities in India, illustrate the benefits of bringing together different branches of sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology.
Queering Cognitive-Sociolinguistics
2022
While Sociolinguistics talks about the ways in which variation in language use reflects various social factors and agencies, Cognitive linguistics see linguistic ability as any other cognitive abilities of human beings. Cognitive Sociolinguistics is an intersectional space where both of these disciplines extend themselves to prove or base their theories and experiments in each other's strongest part. Queer linguistics, on the other hand, is a field in sociolinguistic studies, which mainly discusses the dynamic interaction between gender-sexuality-desire and language use. One stream of queer linguistic research can be regarded as cognitive-sociolinguistics which deals with the perception of sexuality through speech signals. These studies try to understand objectively what cues in the physical sounds convey sexuality. Though no study could give a satisfactory answer so far. The present study questions the research designs of the prevalent methodologies in these experiments and suggests inclusion of queer theoretic stances (thus ‘Queering’ the discipline) to avoid heteronormativity in the research designs itself.
Michaela Koch explains the development of a new line of research in sociolinguistics called queer linguistics. Rooted in poststructuralist approaches to gender as a social construction, queer linguistics offers a critical framework for sociolinguistic analysis that values diversity and avoids over-generalization and stereotyping. Koch describes the history of language and gender research from the 1920's up to today and analyzes different shifts of perspectives of research. Critically, she reflects the concept of performativity, which was originally introduced by J.L. Austin and reframed by Judith Butler into the concept of gender performativity in the 1990's. In addition to theoretical basics and methodology, this book introduces several model analyses and shows insistently the advantages of the queer linguistic framework. With its comprehensive overview of the development of language and gender research and its critical introduction to queer linguistics the book addresses linguistic scholars and students as well as scholars and students interested in gender studies.
In And Out Of The Toolbox Of Language: Reading Marginality In Sexist And Heterosexist Language
Abstract: Marginality can be located in the realms of language. The Post Structuralists envisage that language, being a „social construct,‟ is a tool in the hands of the power holders deployed to reproduce subjectivity in terms of deference as against the subject or the individual identity. This paper wishes to locate the power differences created in language in every day parlance concerning the disabled, women and gay men in Chile. Differences between women and men have always been a topic of interest to the human species. Academics and scholars are as much the product of the times they live in as are non-academics and their work on language can be as subject to prejudice and preconception as are comments of lay people. In some cases this tendency has led to certain contradictions. On the one hand, there are popular English terms that imply deference and stigmatise those who are attributed with such terms, while on the other, there are Popular English proverbs which discriminate women‟s verbosity and language from men following the Androcentric Rule. The Chilean society follows the gender normative linguistic patterns to ridicule the sexual minorities who have culturally been constructed through language and day to day communication. Hence the linguistic ploy of human society goes a long way to “marginalize” sections of society “othering” them utmost and muting them. Keywords: marginalize, androcentrism, stigmatise, subjectivity, hetero -normative
Reading Nina Lykke’s chapter on Genealogies of Doing in her Feminist Studies: A Guide to Intersectional Theory, Methodology and Writing (2010), I encounter some engaging theories related to feminist de-constructionism. The focus of these theories is to perform a feminist critique of biological determinism and cultural essentialism. Lykke illustrates the interplay between feminist theorizing and theoretical strands such as existentialism, historical materialism, psychoanalysis, symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, speech act theory, and poststructuralist philosophy of language; all of them significant inspirations for feminist theorizations of social linguistics constructions, and deconstructions, of gender/sex.