Date: 24-Apr-2011
From: Lisbeth Philip <lphilip loyno.edu>
Subject: The Role of Social Networks on Language Maintenance and on Language Shift: Focusing on the Afro-Costa Rican women in two bilingual communities in the Province of Limon, Costa Rica
 E-mail this message to a friend
Institution: Tulane University
Program: Interdisciplinary Program in Linguistics
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2011
Author: Lisbeth Andrea Philip
Dissertation Title: The Role of Social Networks on Language Maintenance and on Language Shift: Focusing on the Afro-Costa Rican women in two bilingual communities in the Province of Limon, Costa Rica
Linguistic Field(s):
Sociolinguistics
Dissertation Director:
Harry Howard
Judie M Maxwell
Patricia Kissinger
Thomas Klingler
Olanike O Orie
Dissertation Abstract:
This study compares traditional methods of sociolinguistic analysis to
Milroy's (1987) theory of social network analysis to analyze language
maintenance and shift (LMLS) in a group of 127 Afro-Costa Rican women in
two bilingual (Spanish-English) communities, Puerto Limón and Siquirres, in
the province of Limón, Costa Rica. Since the publication of Milroy's work,
a more recent trend has been to determine whether relationships among
individuals exert normative pressures that affect their choice to maintain
or alter the standard linguistic practices of their community. This study
situates itself within this trend and so attempts to determine whether
social network organization explains LMLS better than traditional methods
of sociolinguistic analysis. This objective is accomplished by applying
each approach to analyze LMLS of the English spoken by the sample of
Afro-Costa Rican women and their maintenance of four Creole phonological
variables. The traditional sociolinguistic method of analysis is
implemented by the examination of data collected through a questionnaire,
complemented by interviews. Milroy's theory is implemented by delineating
the network structure of the participants through the types of relations
that bind them in order to define a measure of multiplexity and thus
centrality. Both approaches were also applied to the examination of
phonological variables based on the narration of 104 (of the 127) women of
a picture story-task. The data suggest that traditional sociolinguistic
analysis is more reliable in explaining factors associated with LMLS than
the social network approach. The latter did not prove useful in explaining
patterns of language behavior as norm enforcement mechanisms in the
maintenance of the linguistic practices of the members in the network.
Neither traditional methods of sociolinguistic analysis nor the social
network model were associated with the maintenance of the phonological
features of the Creole variety.
This Year the LINGUIST List hopes to raise $67,000. This money will go to help
keep the List running by supporting all of our Student Editors for the coming year.
See below for donation instructions, and don't forget to check out Fund
Drive 2011 site!
http://linguistlist.org/fund-drive/2011/
There are many ways to donate to LINGUIST!
You can donate right now using our secure credit card form at
https://linguistlist.org/donation/donate/donate1.cfm
Alternatively you can also pledge right now and pay later. To do so, go to:
https://linguistlist.org/donation/pledge/pledge1.cfm
For all information on donating and pledging, including information on how to
donate by check, money order, or wire transfer, please visit:
http://linguistlist.org/donation/
The LINGUIST List is under the umbrella of Eastern Michigan University and as
such can receive donations through the EMU Foundation, which is a registered
501(c) Non Profit organization. Our Federal Tax number is 38-6005986. These
donations can be offset against your federal and sometimes your state tax return
(U.S. tax payers only). For more information visit the IRS Web-Site, or contact
your financial advisor.
Many companies also offer a gift matching program, such that they will match
any gift you make to a non-profit organization. Normally this entails your
contacting your human resources department and sending us a form that the
EMU Foundation fills in and returns to your employer. This is generally a simple
administrative procedure that doubles the value of your gift to LINGUIST, without
costing you an extra penny. Please take a moment to check if your company
operates such a program.
Thank you very much for your support of LINGUIST!
Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue
|
