Sociolinguistic Shibboleths at the Institutional Gate
01 Jan 2016-pp 261-278
TL;DR: Migration has changed, now it does not matter where you come from, but in order to securitize borders, then language are made to correspond to identity as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Migration has changed, now it does not matter where you come from but in order to securitize borders, then language are made to correspond to identity
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Book•
12 Jul 2018
TL;DR: Sociolinguists have rarely attempted to draw the social-theoretical implications from their findings, and in spite of the tremendous theoretical relevance of sociolinguistic insights, most soc linguists themselves continue to rely on established, mainstream forms of sociological imagination as mentioned in this paper, often at odds with their own results.
Abstract: Sociolinguists have rarely attempted to draw the social-theoretical implications from their findings, and in spite of the tremendous theoretical relevance of sociolinguistic insights, most sociolinguists themselves continue to rely on established, mainstream forms of sociological imagination – often at odds with their own results In this text, I explore the ways in which contemporary sociolinguistics can contribute to a new sociological imagination, and I use Emile Durkheim’s work as the take-off point for this exercise Durkheim – one of the founding fathers of sociology – emphasized the crucial importance of normativity in his work, and saw normativity itself as “the social fact” Normativity was collective and compelling, and thus provided the glue to hold diverse segments of society together in forms of social cohesion and integration His view of the social fact became the foundation for defining the very possibility of sociology, and by extension sociolinguistics as well It was dismissed, however, in the tradition called Rational Choice
After outlining Durkheim’s concept of the social fact, I engage with the Durkheimian legacy in two ways One, I use contemporary sociolinguistic empirical findings as arguments to demonstrate the validity of the social fact, and eo ipso the absurdity of Rational Choice The very nature of language as a sociolinguistic system revolving around ordered indexical patterns renders impossible any methodologically-individualistic approach, and basic facts about language variation and sociolinguistic inequality suffice to establish that Sociolinguistics, thus, provides extensive empirical arguments in favor of the possibility of a sociology grounded in collective normatively organized sociality Having established that, I can proceed to the second layer Most mainstream sociology – Durkheim’s included – theorized an “offline” world, and contemporary sociolinguistics can offer a range of new theories based on the growing body of empirical work on the online-offline nexus Such work, quite often, penetrates into the deep fibers of new, emerging or transforming social processes, and can thus be made relevant for higher-level theorizing On the basis of such work, I formulate a range of “grounded” theories that can henceforth be used as hypotheses in further research: on norms, social action, identity, groups, integration, structure and power Together, I argue, they maximize the potential of sociolinguistics to comprehensively theorize what Appadurai defined as the new phase of modernity we inhabit: vernacular globalization
71 citations
21 Feb 2018
TL;DR: This document breaches copyright, and access to the work will be removed immediately and investigate the claim.
Abstract: Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright, please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
9 citations
Cites background from "Sociolinguistic Shibboleths at the ..."
...…translanguaging (García 2009), plurilingualism (Canagarajah 2009), flexible bilingualism (Creese and Blackledge 2010), heterolingualism (Pratt 2011), metrolingualism (Otsuji and Pennycook 2011), translingual practices (Canagarajah 2010), and transglossic language practices (Sultana et al. 2015)....
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01 Jan 2017
5 citations
03 Jul 2020
TL;DR: This article explored metalinguistic discourses of black African immigrants (BAIs) in Johannesburg on how they mobilize multilingual and multimodal resources in their communicative practices to pass as South Africans (SAs), concealing their identities as non-SAs to avert violent xenophobic attacks.
Abstract: This article explores metalinguistic discourses of black African immigrants (BAIs) in Johannesburg on how they mobilize multilingual and multimodal resources in their communicative practices to pass as South Africans (SAs), concealing their identities as non-SAs to avert violent xenophobic attacks. Drawing data from semi-structured interviews and group discussions with BAIs, the article investigates how BAIs report on creatively, strategically using translanguaging and multimodality in performance of ingroup membership as local black SAs, blurring the boundaries between “outsiders” and “insiders.” BAIs use passing as a social identity management strategy, to negotiate their putative identity and resist ascription of the foreigner-outsider categorization and attendant social meanings. Besides language(s), BAIs use modes of corporeal practice (embodiment, clothing semiosis, skin-bleaching) as legitimating markers of belonging. The article argues that using passing unsettles the distinction between local/insider/citizen and migrant/outsider/non-citizen – concepts framed around a nation-state – revealing tensions, contradictions, and complexities in the politics of identity in Johannesburg.
4 citations
References
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Book•
12 Jul 2018
TL;DR: Sociolinguists have rarely attempted to draw the social-theoretical implications from their findings, and in spite of the tremendous theoretical relevance of sociolinguistic insights, most soc linguists themselves continue to rely on established, mainstream forms of sociological imagination as mentioned in this paper, often at odds with their own results.
Abstract: Sociolinguists have rarely attempted to draw the social-theoretical implications from their findings, and in spite of the tremendous theoretical relevance of sociolinguistic insights, most sociolinguists themselves continue to rely on established, mainstream forms of sociological imagination – often at odds with their own results In this text, I explore the ways in which contemporary sociolinguistics can contribute to a new sociological imagination, and I use Emile Durkheim’s work as the take-off point for this exercise Durkheim – one of the founding fathers of sociology – emphasized the crucial importance of normativity in his work, and saw normativity itself as “the social fact” Normativity was collective and compelling, and thus provided the glue to hold diverse segments of society together in forms of social cohesion and integration His view of the social fact became the foundation for defining the very possibility of sociology, and by extension sociolinguistics as well It was dismissed, however, in the tradition called Rational Choice
After outlining Durkheim’s concept of the social fact, I engage with the Durkheimian legacy in two ways One, I use contemporary sociolinguistic empirical findings as arguments to demonstrate the validity of the social fact, and eo ipso the absurdity of Rational Choice The very nature of language as a sociolinguistic system revolving around ordered indexical patterns renders impossible any methodologically-individualistic approach, and basic facts about language variation and sociolinguistic inequality suffice to establish that Sociolinguistics, thus, provides extensive empirical arguments in favor of the possibility of a sociology grounded in collective normatively organized sociality Having established that, I can proceed to the second layer Most mainstream sociology – Durkheim’s included – theorized an “offline” world, and contemporary sociolinguistics can offer a range of new theories based on the growing body of empirical work on the online-offline nexus Such work, quite often, penetrates into the deep fibers of new, emerging or transforming social processes, and can thus be made relevant for higher-level theorizing On the basis of such work, I formulate a range of “grounded” theories that can henceforth be used as hypotheses in further research: on norms, social action, identity, groups, integration, structure and power Together, I argue, they maximize the potential of sociolinguistics to comprehensively theorize what Appadurai defined as the new phase of modernity we inhabit: vernacular globalization
71 citations
21 Feb 2018
TL;DR: This document breaches copyright, and access to the work will be removed immediately and investigate the claim.
Abstract: Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright, please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
9 citations
01 Jan 2017
5 citations
03 Jul 2020
TL;DR: This article explored metalinguistic discourses of black African immigrants (BAIs) in Johannesburg on how they mobilize multilingual and multimodal resources in their communicative practices to pass as South Africans (SAs), concealing their identities as non-SAs to avert violent xenophobic attacks.
Abstract: This article explores metalinguistic discourses of black African immigrants (BAIs) in Johannesburg on how they mobilize multilingual and multimodal resources in their communicative practices to pass as South Africans (SAs), concealing their identities as non-SAs to avert violent xenophobic attacks. Drawing data from semi-structured interviews and group discussions with BAIs, the article investigates how BAIs report on creatively, strategically using translanguaging and multimodality in performance of ingroup membership as local black SAs, blurring the boundaries between “outsiders” and “insiders.” BAIs use passing as a social identity management strategy, to negotiate their putative identity and resist ascription of the foreigner-outsider categorization and attendant social meanings. Besides language(s), BAIs use modes of corporeal practice (embodiment, clothing semiosis, skin-bleaching) as legitimating markers of belonging. The article argues that using passing unsettles the distinction between local/insider/citizen and migrant/outsider/non-citizen – concepts framed around a nation-state – revealing tensions, contradictions, and complexities in the politics of identity in Johannesburg.
4 citations