For the first reading assignment of the quarter, we are
reading Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet’s “Constructing Meaning,
Constructing Selves: Snapshots of Language, Gender, and Class from Belten High”
to introduce you to scholarly research that focuses on a topic you can relate
to. The article investigates the social
and linguistic activities of specific communities of practice, such as the jocks, burnouts, and the in-betweens to show how teens used language
to simultaneously create solidarity and differentiate themselves from other
groups. In addition to its relatability (well, as much as teens today can
relate to teens from 20 years ago that is), I have always liked using this
article because it provides a good example of how to look at social groups that
we all hang out in and learn to analyze them based on language features (i.e., the
labels we use for other groups). In this way, “Constructing Meaning” makes for
an ideal text because it is accessible and relatable while also providing a
model of a methodological approach that can be applied to a similar study of personal
interest—which you will also do. :)
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