Navigating the Switch: Code Switching and Cultural Identity

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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ABSTRACT

Language is a means for us to present our own idea and is considered as a medium of communication with others. Code switching usually refers to a linguistic phenomenon, defined as alternating between two or more languages, or between dialects, styles or registers of the same language. Code switching is a broad concept and is described in linguistics and many other fields. The study of code switching tells us about cultural identity. Language speakers use a large set of strategies through which they develop their association with particular group and distinguish themselves from others. The researcher analyzes the study as qualitative. This type of analysis provided an image of the participants' perceptions, feelings, experiences, ideas, concerns, and attitudes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTii

DECLARATIONiii

ABSTRACTiv

Section I: Introduction1

Relevant Background leading to Research1

Problem Statement3

Purpose of the Study5

Significance of Research5

Section II: Research Questions7

Key Research question7

Subsidiary questions7

Section III: Research Approach8

Theoretical Positioning8

Code switching benefits9

Similarities and differences in attitudes towards code switching9

Impact on integrity of participants10

Section IV: Methodology12

National Black theatre history12

Data Collection13

Data Analysis13

WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY14

Field Work14

Survey Questions14

WORK CITED15

Section I: Introduction

Relevant Background leading to Research

Language is a means for us to present our own idea and is considered as a medium of communication with others. When we speak, the hearer may have a different understanding of what we desire. This conflict is further complicated when the hearer is in a position of power and can not only misinterpret those desires, but can intently hinder the expression of the speaker, forcing the speaker into an entirely different, possibly unwanted, identity (Gibson 2). This plays out daily in the lives of Black Americans who have learned to navigate this conflict not only linguistically but also physically, through a concept called code switching.

“Code-switching—or code-mixing, or style-shifting—is as universally derided as it is universal. In day-to-day life, it's seen as somehow deceitful—a betrayal of one's trues self.”

The key points of code-switching are highlighted here which provide some kind of either social distance or social proximity to the people with whom we speak. If African-American vernacular English is employed in a black church, it helps in aligning to the audience. Similarly, with the response and call of black church, with yeahs, that's right and mmm-hmms makes it much more comfortable. A different dialectcan also be used as a mainstream dialect, non-Negro dialect helps to create social distance as done in many social settings. We often discuss the boujie cousin who comes to the family cookout and speaks differently than others. That is done to achieve social distance. As a result of this code-switching is used ...