LINGUIST List 22.4930

Thu Dec 08 2011

Diss: Anthro Ling/Chinese: Chiang: 'Heritage, History and Identity:...'

Editor for this issue: Xiyan Wang <xiyanlinguistlist.org>

        1.     W F Chiang , Heritage, History and Identity: Complexity in language maintenance within multigenerational families
Message 1: Heritage, History and Identity: Complexity in language maintenance within multigenerational families
Date: 07-Dec-2011
From: W F Chiang <chiangwfgmail.com>
Subject: Heritage, History and Identity: Complexity in language maintenance within multigenerational families
E-mail this message to a friend

Institution: University of Texas at Austin Program: Department of Anthropology Dissertation Status: Completed Degree Date: 2009

Author: W F Chiang

Dissertation Title: Heritage, History and Identity: Complexity in language maintenance within multigenerational families

Linguistic Field(s): Anthropological Linguistics
Subject Language(s): Chinese, Mandarin (cmn)                             Chinese, Yue (yue)                             English (eng)
Dissertation Director:
Elizabeth L Keating Pauline Strong Joel F Sherzer
Dissertation Abstract:

My dissertation research employs theories that examine the relationshipbetween language and social meaning to look at semiotic processes throughwhich ideologies of differentiation are formed. This dissertation considerslanguage use and heritage language maintenance in four multigenerationalfamilies whose ancestral language was a target of elimination by nationallanguage policies. Utilizing paradigms for examining the semiotic processesof ideologies of language differentiation, as well as identity formation,this dissertation attempts to untangle the various language ideologiessurrounding the different language resources within the ethnic Chinesecommunity in Singapore and examines their effects on identity formation andintergenerational interactions where different language competencies arefeatured. Linguistic resources in Singapore are legitimized withdifferentiating attribution of linguistic capital where four officiallanguages are placed higher than the heritage languages, and within theofficial languages, English is legitimized as the language for business andscience, and for use in interethnic communication. Differentiation isconstructed among the languages, which then project indexical values totheir speakers and their respective linguistic behaviors. Taking adiscourse-centered approach and paying attention to historicity, thisdissertation provides an in-depth analysis of language patterns inmultigenerational families. The findings show varying degree of heritagelanguage maintenance at home and language shift from the heritage languagein the public sphere. The study also identifies a uniqueskipped-generational heritage language transmission phenomenon resultingfrom changes in woman's roles, as well as from the complexity of identityconfigurations featuring ethnic, heritage, linguistic, and nationalaffiliations. This dissertation also examines processes ofintergenerational language negotiation foregrounding age and religion astwo intersecting factors, discussing their implications on traditionalfamily values, family structure, as well as heritage language maintenance.Utilizing multigenerational and multilingual families as a research siteencompasses alternative linguistic markets and temporalities to examine thecreative use of linguistic resources by speakers for identity formation andlanguage maintenance efforts.


Page Updated: 08-Dec-2011