Anthro 4 First Paper

Read this quote from a leading sociolinguist:

“Let’s face it. There are certain consequences for not speaking a standard dialect. For example, people may make fun of you, or you may have certain limitations in terms of the job market. If you don’t wanna deal with the negatives, it may be very helpful to learn a standard dialect for certain situations. It may not be fair, but that’s the way it is.”—Walt Wolfram

Now read this quote from former U.S. President Barack Obama: “None of us – black, white, Latino, or Asian – is immune to the stereotypes that

our culture continues to feed us, especially stereotypes about black criminality, black intelligence, or the black work ethic. In general, members of every minority group continue to be measured largely by the degree of our assimilation – how closely speech patterns, dress, or demeanor conform to the dominant white culture – and the more that a minority strays from these external markers, the more he or

she is subject to negative assumptions.”

How do these quotes relate to the comments made by the “well-meaning teacher” in Alim’s (2004) chapter about African American students in Haven High? How would you describe the ideologies of linguistic supremacy and linguistic equanimity at play in what they are describing?

Please be sure to use and define the following four terms in your own words: (a) language as a non-neutral medium, (b) language ideologies, (c) White public space, and (d) linguistic profiling. Use the readings and the lectures from Weeks 1-3 to guide you. You got this.

References: Your reference list should include at least 4 readings from the course. Points will not be deducted for incorrect reference format. I’m more interested in your ideas.