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Social Groups (Social Network Theory (In 1987 Lesley Milroy did a study of…
Social Groups
Social Network Theory
In 1987 Lesley Milroy did a study of speech in Belfast. Milroy described the idea of social network theory as a 'web of ties'
Density: How many connections you have within one potential link.
Dense networks are most likely to be found in small, stable communities with few external contacts and a high degree of social cohesion.
Loose social networks are more liable to develop in larger, unstable communities that have many external contacts and not much social cohesion.
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A single tie is a uniplex relationship.
When individuals interact in many social contexts, they become multiplex.
Milroy studied three inner-city working class communities and she explained how variations could be explained by the residents social networks.
She found that where people had high network density their accents were reinforced and stayed strong.
Where people were isolated they had less strong accents.
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William Labov
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He concluded that differences in pronunciation of certain sounds could be attributed to social class.
He conducted an experiment in New York Department stores and he found in more prestigious stores people were more likely to use the post-vocalic R (park, cart).
He found that speakers who he identified as middle class strove to use the prestigious form.
Peter Trudgill
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He focused on the pronunciation of certain sounds including the 'g' sound at the end of words (velar nasal). He found that not pronouncing the 'g' sound was more likely to feature in working class speech rather than middle class speech.
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Penelope Ecker
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She labelled the groups the Jocks and the Burnouts. The jocks were concerned with a socially prestigious way and the Burnouts used more exaggerated pronunciations and had urban accents.
Basil Bernstein
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The working class children based their descriptions on what was in the room, whereas the middle class acted as if the researcher wasn't there.