This paper is going to deal with the social differentiation in lexical choice in the context of apologising. More precisely, its purpose is the analysis of the correlation of social class and the use of the lexical variants 'pardon', 'sorry', 'excuse me' and 'what'. Another aim of this paper is to prove that at least two groups, in this case members of social classses in England, are distinctly different in their usage of apologies. Apart from that, it is going to figure out whether the variant 'pardon' is socially stigmatised as an underclass utterance, as stated in the popular book "Watching the English" by Kate Fox.
The first chapter is dedicated to explain why some words are related to social classes. This is going to be approached with two important anthropological works that deal with the issue. Further, it is going to examine why speakers behave class-conscious in conversational situations or not, and how this is linked to their active language planning. Following this, the method of social stratification is explained. This chapter focuses on the division of society into classes and on defining a class scheme which could serve as the most reasonable for the analysis. Chapter 3 is going to introduce the method of research of the present study, a quantitative analysis, and explain why this approach had been chosen. Further, it is going to present the layout of the questionnaire. In chapter 4, the results of the quantitative analysis are going to be presented and interpreted in order to approach the research question of this paper. For reasons of simplification, this term paper is going to use the male form of a speaker and a participant.
Table of Content
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Background
2.1 U- and Non-U-words
2.2 Class-conscious Speech Behaviour
2.3 Class-Stratification
3. Method of Research
4. Results and Interpretation
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the correlation between social class in England and the choice of specific lexical variants used for apologizing—namely 'pardon', 'sorry', 'excuse me', and 'what'. The study aims to investigate whether these choices reflect social stratification and to test the hypothesis that social class significantly influences verbal behavior and apologies, while also evaluating the claim that the term 'pardon' carries a social stigma associated with the underclass.
- Analysis of sociolinguistic theories regarding social class and word choice.
- Investigation of the "U and Non-U" linguistic classification and its contemporary relevance.
- Quantitative research utilizing an online survey to collect data on apology variants across different social settings.
- Application of the National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification (NS-SEC) to evaluate social status.
- Discussion on how social pressure and formality influence the speaker's choice of apologies.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 U- and Non-U Words
Within the field of sociolinguistics, many studies had been conducted about the connection of social factors and pronunciation. Nevertheless, there is a small choice that concentrates on the correlation of social factors and lexical choice. The oldest official study of lexical choice among speakers of different social classes is the essay 'U and Non-U' by Alan C. Ross, a professor of the University of Birmingham, from 1959. It is primarily concerned with the way of speaking of the English aristocracy and has been edited by the then-socialite Nancy Mitford. At the beginning of the essay it is said that “It is solely by its language that the upper class is clearly marked off from the others.”(Ross, Mitford, Waugh, Sykes & Betjeman, 1959, p.9). Alan C. Ross was the first scientist to classify deliberate lexical choice into two categories: 'U' as a marker of upper class words and 'Non-U' for the words that are used by the aspiring middle class, which should therewith be seen as the underclass and should be considered separated from the aristocracy. Ross manifested that every U-word had a Non-U counterpart (Ross et.al., 1959, p.11). Among several other examples they also included words from the category of apologising into their list of U- and Non-U words. They defined 'Pardon' as commonly used by non-U, underclass-speakers, in three common cases. Firstly, when a speaker says something that the other speaker has not understood properly. Secondly, as an obligatory apology and thirdly, after someone “hiccupped or belched” (Ross et.al., 1959, p. 27). The upper class variants to apologise in such cases were 'What?' and 'Sorry?'. While the variants 'sorry' and 'what' are easily deemed to sound too simple as to be used by an upper class member, the latter probably seems impolite, if not rude.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the research motivation, focusing on how word choice reveals social class, and introduces the specific study of apology variants.
2. Theoretical Background: This chapter reviews anthropological and sociolinguistic theories, including Ross’s U/Non-U concept, Kate Fox’s observations on English social behavior, and the Speech Accommodation Theory.
2.1 U- and Non-U-words: This section details the historical classification of upper-class and non-upper-class language markers, specifically focusing on the social connotations of the word 'pardon'.
2.2 Class-conscious Speech Behaviour: This section explores how speakers modify their language according to their social environment and their desire to align with higher social classes.
2.3 Class-Stratification: This section discusses the theoretical framework of social classes in the UK, introducing the NS-SEC model used for categorizing participants.
3. Method of Research: This chapter explains the quantitative approach, describing the structure of the online questionnaire and the rationale behind choosing survey-based data collection.
4. Results and Interpretation: This chapter presents the data collected from the survey, mapping the usage of apology variants against demographic and social class indicators.
5. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the research findings, reflecting on the validity of the initial hypotheses and the relationship between language and social status.
Keywords
Sociolinguistics, Social Class, Lexical Choice, U and Non-U, Apology, Kate Fox, NS-SEC, Quantitative Analysis, Speech Accommodation, Verbal Behaviour, Social Stratification, Class-consciousness, English Language, Linguistic Signals, Social Status.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the relationship between social class in England and the specific choice of lexical variants when apologizing, such as the use of 'pardon' versus 'sorry'.
What are the core thematic areas of the study?
The study centers on sociolinguistics, specifically social stratification, class-conscious speech behavior, and the influence of language on how individuals are perceived within the English social structure.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine if there is a distinct correlation between social class and the usage of specific apologies, while testing if 'pardon' is indeed socially stigmatized.
Which scientific method is employed to achieve these results?
The author uses a quantitative analysis, specifically an online questionnaire that collects demographic data and participant responses to hypothetical conversational scenarios.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section covers the theoretical foundations regarding class and speech, the methodology behind the survey design, and an interpretation of the collected data concerning formality and class.
How can the key topics be summarized by keywords?
The work is characterized by terms such as sociolinguistics, social class, lexical choice, apology, and social stratification.
Does the study confirm Kate Fox's theory about the word 'pardon'?
The results provide evidence that challenges Fox's theory, as participants across different social grades ranked 'pardon' as a formal expression rather than an exclusively lower-class term.
How does the NS-SEC classification function in this study?
The NS-SEC is used to categorize participants into social groups (AB, C, DE) based on income, housing, and education, allowing the author to analyze word choice across these classes.
What role does the 'Speech Accommodation Theory' play?
It serves as a framework to explain why speakers tend to adjust their language style to match their interlocutor or a desired higher social status.
- Quote paper
- Diana Kiesinger (Author), 2015, Lexical Choice in Apologies as Markers of Social Class in England, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/313937
