Introduction
Since
time immemorial language has played a significant and indispensable role in the
origin and formation of many civilizations. It has been the most primary and
fundamental source of communication for the human civilisation ever since its
inception. From the primitive time, when mankind was evolving into smaller and
more classified groups of people, which led to the formation of civilizations,
clans, dynasties, classes, sects, etc., it was only language that influenced
the entire process of evolution (Braine et al, 1990). Language is dominant and
influential even to this date in all its diverse forms and features. Language
is the intangible, dominating and flexible witness to the passage of time which
has helped in giving an identity to many different groups that characterizes
the human society.
This paper focuses on the
various aspects in which language shares an intimate bond with the society, how
it shapes the verbal skills and how it acts as a deciding factor to prove the
societal worth of a class or an individual. The references for this article
have been taken from various scholarly sources which include M. Danesi’s
“Linguistic Anthropology: A Brief Introduction”. All the arguments, perceptions and opinions
have been derived from this book which talks about various relevant relations
which exist between language and society (Braine, 1990).
The
Importance of Language in a Society
The horizon of “language” is
not only limited to verbal communication but also includes written
documentation of events. However, when its significance is considered in the
society, more emphasis is given to its verbosity instead of its written forms.
The reason why language skills are directly related to the way a person
communicates is because it not only helps in identifying the speaker but also
contributes in analyzing his/her thoughts and ideologies. As human beings, communication
with other members is done with the help of language. To
further elaborate the importance of language in the society, the help of a
specialized theory is taken which emphasizes on identifying the worth of the
subject by either comparing it with its opposite or by determining the
consequences of its absence (Pollatsek, 2008). To simplify things, we can
consider this statement as an example: “It is black because it is not white”.
In this statement, the presence of black is enhanced by the absence of white.
Similarly, the importance of language in a society can
be further delved upon by imagining how our society would function in its
absence. For example, it is language which helps us carry out our day-to-day
activities and helps us retain our stature as a social being. Had it not been
there, mankind would have been quite identical to a group of animals who
communicate with their own sounds which restrains them from socializing with
other beings that belong to a different species.
According
to Pollatsek et al (2008), for us, as humans, it is relatively a simple affair
to make an acquaintance with a foreigner as we are aware of the fact that even
though the other person speaks a different tongue, he/she would at the least
use the primary means of communication, which is language. This finality of the
fact that human beings are entirely dependent on language makes it an
interesting field of study and analysis (Pollatsek et al, 2008). With the help
of language, we not only determine our own position in the society but we also
explore other cultures and societies which are different than our own in their
structure and characteristics but still follow the universal means of
communication.
Language
influences the Classes of our Society
In
the book “Linguistic Anthropology: A Brief Introduction”, the author talks
about how language plays an important role in determining the class of society
that the orator belongs to. According to him, language can be used as a
differentiator, or rather an “identifier” of people belonging to the upper
class, the middle class and the lower class (Pollatsek & Well, 1995). This
idea can be ascertained to be the ultimate truth with the help of realistic
examples. Even in the world of English literature, the difference in the
language skills of people belonging to different classes has been emphasized
upon. For example, in the novel “Hard Times” by Charles Dickens, the language
used by the protagonist, Thomas Gradgrind, who belongs to a utilitarian and
upper-class, is quite different from the one used by Stephen Blackpool, who
belongs to the working class and earns his living by working in the coal mines
(Eckert, 1994). The author has used a refined and polished language for the
former and a coarse version of the same language for the latter. And this is
one example which has been taken from a novel belonging to the 18th
century.
Since
then, language has evolved to a great extent. However, it has still not lost
its characteristic feature of playing the role of an identifier and this is
quite evident even today when we are in the 21st century. The class
differentiation which can be identified with the help of language is still
evident in various cultures. For example, in India, the national language is
Hindi. However, this language is further divided into many dialects which are
adopted by many classes of the society. The type of Hindi that is used in
literature is the one that is spoken by the upper classes of the Indian
society; and the lower classes, which mainly reside in small towns and villages
have a language of their own, which is similar to Hindi but in a much distorted
way (Pollatsek et al, 2008). This very point has been elucidated by M. Danesi
in his book wherein he has emphasized on the use of “ing” as opposed to “in”,
to express a word in present-continuous tense, as a determinant of classes. The
use of “ing” has been attributed to the upper class whereas the use of “in” has
been attributed to the lower class or the working class.
Language
influences Gender in a Society
In
his book “The Awful German Language”, the author Mark Twain has emphasized on
the way the Germans differentiate between the masculine and feminine aspects of
a subject with the help of language. He has quoted an example which states that
in the German language, a “wife”, who is apparently a female figure and thereby
needs to addressed in the feminine form, loses her gender and becomes a neuter,
which means that the lady can now be referred to as “it” instead of “she”.
However, this is only an example pertaining to one language (Braine, 1990). We
will now see how language plays a significant role in determining gender in
other languages as well.
As
discussed by M. Danesi, the gender aspect of the society is inherent in its
language structure. The author has emphasized on this point with the help of an
example which he derived after conducting a survey wherein it was concluded
that men use profanities more than women do and they are more blunt and
straightforward while expressing their opinions as compared to their female
counterparts (Pollatsek et al, 2008). This derivation can be stated to be true
as it is a well-known fact that the language used by women are a reflection of
their social status and the stereotype qualities which are attributed to their
gender. In a patriarchal society, women are expected to be coy and demure in
their countenance which is why their eloquence is seldom flamboyant or rude
(Pollatsek & Well, 1995). Even when they express an intense emotion, they
do with caution, choosing their words carefully and steering clear of extreme
expressions like profanities and authoritative statements. Men on the other
hand belong to the dominating segment of the society which is quite evident in
their speech. It is a rare occurrence to find a man who speaks in a “womanly”
fashion. Their form of speech is assertive, authoritative and commanding, and
they rarely find it necessary to speak differently. Also, their manner of
speech is further influenced by the ideologies that they harbor in a
patriarchal society which does not restrain them from talking about sensitive
issues.
Apart
from the manner of speech, language is also an integral factor in determining
the gender of the speaker as it accommodates various versions of the same word
in accordance to the gender of the speaker. If we take an example from M.
Danesi’s book, the author has focused upon the Koasati language spoken in
Louisiana, where the word “lifting” is pronounced differently be men and women.
For men, the Koasati version of “lifting” is “lawawhol” whereas for women it is
“lakawhos” (Pollatsek & Well, 1995). This example clearly states that
language is flexible enough to accommodate many versions of the same word in
order to sustain the classification of gender in the human society.
According
to Eckert (1988), this concept is less evident in the English language where
the classification of gender is limited to the use of “He”, “She”, “Her”,
“His”, etc. In the English language, the verb remains the same for both the
genders. On the contrary, there are many foreign languages, like Hindi, where
even the verb is changes according to the gender of the speaker. So when you
read a script in this language, you will get to know the gender of the speaker
just by identifying the use of words. The use of such words in the masculine
and feminine form however does not affect the manner of speech (Braine et al,
1990). The way of talking is universal for every language, wherein the women
portray submissive characteristic and the men are more prone to display a dominating
character.
Language influences an Event in our Society
Yet
another sector wherein language acts as a predominant factor is the occurrence
of an event or the advent of a circumstance. This refers to the diverse forms
of language skills that we adapt to in order to be able to suit the occasion
(Eckert, 1988). For example, we adapt a formal way of speech when we appear for
an interview or attend a meeting, and recline to a much simpler and casual
manner of speech when we are amidst the people we are more comfortable with.
This adaptation is sometimes a natural phenomenon which human beings are made
aware of by the society they associate themselves with. For example, a child
who is yet unaware of the complexities of the society naturally tends to speak
formally with strangers as opposed to friends or family members. Here, language
is used as a determinant for the need of the hour (Braine et al, 1990).
Adapting to a formal way of speaking to meet the requirements of a particular
occasion does not mean that we lose our original manner of speech. This is only
a temporary variation which every person has to inculcate in order to be able
to be considered fit for the society (Pollatsek et al, 1995).
Language,
Meaning and Society
There are various levels of human experience at which
classification exists with regard to language, the physical world and the
society where we belong. The classifiers of linguistics are the only
classifiers, however, which are the most social language categorization. Natural
categories in the society exist such as noun, verb, head and non-head languages
but in addition the physical world also consists of categories that are
prototypes and terms of colors. These remain incomplete without relating them
to the categories of society mostly the ones discussed by Durkheim and Mauss.
Between any of the forces, individually or distinctly to make a causal
relationship becomes difficult. It was a claim of Chomsky that the organ of
language provides humans with syntactic analogues that are viewed in the world.
The capability of biological aspects for language consists of entailment of
categories interacting between the brain of humans and the world. The reliance
of this view on what has been said by Deacon has been termed as the theory of
hopeful monster. The same becomes unsatisfactory as the theory is simply random
and also not predictable. The organ theory of language on the other hand, as
portrayed by Deacon serves as a holder of place of all that which cannot be
learned. There is no explanation provided for the same and the categorical
thought origin is ignored attributing to the black box ability and thus, cannot
be known as a theory of ideal form (Eckert et al, 1988).
Now, in its most applicable form it can be said that
there is a connection between language and the society and this relationship is
completely motivated by cultural motivation. The same can be explained from the
overt structure of languages such as Dyirbal. This system of language structure
is an Australian language of Aboriginals spoken by the Australia natives that
are now rapidly decreasing in number. On analysing the language structure of
Dyirbal it was formulated that an arbitrary classification can be revealed from
the same resulting into development of various groups. First group is the bayi
containing men and animals, next is the balan which is specific to women, birds
and things of danger, third is the balam containing edible plants and goods of
Europe and lastly is the bala group marking everything in totality that exists.
All these coming together derive a new language structure that related the
society and deciphers that society and the language structure have a
co-relation which exists in association to each of them. Sometimes the
relationship is culturally motivated and sometimes the relationship is
motivated with regard to gender in the society.
Approach
combination
The studies of nomothetic approach suggest that the
society structure has an effect of the language structure which has a use
within it. The approach nomothetic aspect is a tool of power especially when
testable hypothesis has to be generated which are not possibly applicable in
the live world. However, various studies have also revealed that age is not the
only factor that may have an influence on the relationship between language
structure and the structure of society (Braine et al, 1990). The phonemic
diversity and gender are other factors of association.
Studies have argued that language of humans gets
adapted more than the thoughts and that the common and simpler the structure of
language, the faster becomes its survival in the world. Thinking traditionally
is that which makes way to the development of language with regard to changes
at random and the drift in histories. An example can be quoted here of English
and Turkish that are two very diverse and different languages especially when
comparing them on the basis of their histories separating them from time and
space. Since several years, the reigning assumption has been on the linguistic
science. But before any other notion, lies the important fact that there exists
a striking relationship between property of demographics of a language such as
the complex grammar and the language of population spread widely (Eckert et al,
1994).
Conclusion
To conclude,
it would not be incorrect to admit that the relation between language and
society is too evident too be overlooked. On the contrary, the deeper we delve
into one, the more insight we will attain about the other. These two factors
not only influence each other but they are also interdependent. The demise or
extinction of a society could mean the death of a particular language and
vice-versa. So we can hereby conclude that language and society are two aspects
that sustain the survival of mankind as social beings (Eckert et al, 1988).
References
Braine, M. D. S., Brody, R. E., Brooks, P. J.,
Sudhalter, V., Ross, J. A., Catalano, L., & Fisch, S. M. (1990). Exploring
Language acquisition in children with a miniature artificial language: Effects
of item and pattern frequency, arbitrary subclasses and correction. Journal of
Memory and Language, 29, 591–610.
Eckert, P. (1988). Adolescent Social Structure And
The Spread Of Linguistic Change. Language in Society, 17(02), 183.
Eckert, C. (1994). The epistemology of language
structure and Society. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press.
Pollatsek, A., & Well, A. D. (1995). The
evolution of culture: Language and society. Journal of Experimental Psychology,
21, 785–794.
Pollatsek, A., & Well, A. D. (2008). Cultural
evolution: implications for understanding the human language faculty and its
evolution. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological
Sciences, 363 (1509), 3591-3603.
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