Linguistic Discrimination - Language and Social Group Saliency

Language and Social Group Saliency

It is natural for human beings to want to identify with others. One way we do this is by categorizing individuals into specific social groups. While some groups may be readily noticeable (such as those defined by race or gender), other groups are less salient. Linguist Carmen Fought explains how an individual's use of language may allow another person to categorize them into a specific social group that may otherwise be less apparent. For example, in the United States it is common to perceive Southerners as less intelligent. Belonging to a social group such as the South may be less salient than membership to other groups that are defined by race or gender. Language provides a bridge for prejudice to occur for these less salient social groups.

Read more about this topic:  Linguistic Discrimination

Famous quotes containing the words language, social and/or group:

    We find that the child who does not yet have language at his command, the child under two and a half, will be able to cooperate with our education if we go easy on the “blocking” techniques, the outright prohibitions, the “no’s” and go heavy on “substitution” techniques, that is, the redirection or certain impulses and the offering of substitute satisfactions.
    Selma H. Fraiberg (20th century)

    In social halls a favored guest
    In years that follow victory won,
    How sweet to feel your festal fame
    In woman’s glance instinctive thrown:
    Repose is yours—your deed is known,
    Herman Melville (1819–1891)

    There is nothing in the world that I loathe more than group activity, that communal bath where the hairy and slippery mix in a multiplication of mediocrity.
    Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)