The Social Stratification Of (r) In Nyc Department Stores 6e2l3p

The Social Stratification of (r) in New York City Department Stores By William Labov

How to gather data? • One classical methodological problem one encounters in the study of language in its social context: • The means used to gather the data interfere with the data to be gathered. • Individual tape-recorded interview: monitored & controlled in response to the presence of an outside observer • One solution: study subject in his own natural social context – interacting with his family or peer group (Labov et al, 1968). • Another solution: observe the public use of language in everyday life apart from any interview situation • This study: systematic use of rapid & anonymous observations in a study of the sociolinguistic structure of the speech community

Preliminary Studies • An extensive series of preliminary investigations was carried out: 70 individual interviews and many anonymous observations in public places • These led to the definition of (r), as a phonological variable, in postvocalic position in car, card, four, fourth, etc. • This variable appeared to be sensitive to any measure of social or stylistic stratification. • On the basis of the exploratory interviews: it seemed possible to carry out an empirical test of two general notions: 1-(r) is a social differentiator in all levels of NYC speech 2-the rapid & anonymous speech events could be used as the basis of a systematic study of language.

Definition of Social Stratification • Bernard Barber (1957): social stratification is the product of social differentiation & social evaluation • This implies that -the normal workings of society have produced systematic differences between certain institutions or people -these differentiated forms have been ranked in status or prestige by general agreement

General Hypothesis & How to Test It • If any two subgroups of NYC speakers are ranked in a scale of social stratification, then they will be ranked in the same order by their differential use of (r). • Test1: comparing occupational groups, one of the most important indexes of social stratification • Test2: finding a subtle case of stratification within a single occupational group: the sales people of 3 large department stores in Manhattan, from the top, middle, & bottom of the price & fashion scale

The Differential Ranking of the Three Stores • Their locations are important: Saks Fifth Avenue (high fashion shopping district) Macy's (near garment district along with middle range stores) S. Klein • Their advertising & price policies are clearly stratified. • The physical plant of the stores also serve to differentiate them. • The principle stratifying effect upon the employees is

The Method • The interviewer approached the informant in the role of a customer asking for directions to a department, located on the fourth floor Interviewer: 'Excuse me, where are the women's shoes?’ Informant: 'Fourth floor.’ Interviewer: 'Excuse me?’ Informant: 'Fourth floor’ spoken in careful style under emphatic stress • Independent variables: the store – floor within the store – sex – age – occupation – race – foreign or regional accent • Dependent variable: the use of (r) in four occurrences: Causal: fourth floor (preconsonantal + final position) Emphatic: fourth floor

The Method • (r-1) for each plainly constricted value of the variable • (r-0) for unconstricted schwa, lengthened vowel, or no representation • d for doubtful cases or partial constriction

Overall Stratification of (r) • Results showed clear & consistent stratification of (r) in the 3 stores • All informants were divided into 3 categories: all (r-1): those whose records show only (r-1) & no (r-0) some (r-1): those whose records show at least one (r-1) & one (r-0) no (r-1): those whose records showed only (r-0)

Overall Stratification of (r)

• There is a considerable difference between Macy's & Klein at each position, but the difference between Macy's and Saks varies. • In emphatic pronunciation of the final (r), Macy's employees come very close to the mark set by Saks. • Saks employees have more security in a linguistic sense.

Overall Stratification of (r)

• The table shows the number of instances obtained for each of the four positions of (r) for each store. • The number of occurrences in the 2nd pronunciation of four is considerably reduced, because of some speakers’ tendency to answer a 2nd time, 'Fourth.’

Overall Stratification of (r)

• The pattern of differential ranking in the use of (r) is preserved in this subgroup of complete responses • Omission of the final 'floor’ by some respondents was not a factor in this pattern.

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