This study investigates the linguistic performances of two black politicians from the United States – namely, Barack Obama and Ben Carson – when addressing audiences of differing ethnic composition. Obama's use of vernacular speech at Hampton University was considered controversial due to the stigmatized nature of African American English (AAE) use within formal contexts, which nevertheless enjoys covert prestige as a marker of solidarity and identity.
Ben Carson was chosen as a foil, due to crucial similarities between the two politicians. For each of them, speech samples from two speeches and two interviews were selected for analysis, whereby one speech/interview was given in front of a predominantly white audience and the other speech/interview was given in front of a predominantly black audience. In order to determine if, when, and to what extent Obama and Carson employ features of AAE in these 'high performance' political events, an acoustic analysis of three sociophonetic variables indexical of AAE is undertaken.
Focusing on the patterns of these three phonological features of AAE versus their 'standard' General American English (GAE) counterparts, the linguistic outputs of Obama and Carson are investigated individually and in comparison to each other. Additionally, research on style-shifting, contextualization of the speeches and interviews, insights about AAE and the biographical backgrounds of Obama and Carson are discussed to explain their respective stylistic choices.
In summary, Obama and Carson's sociophonetic construction of identity and achieving of situational goals through style-shifting between AAE and GAE in 'high performance' political events is examined in this study.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Style & Style-Shifting
Labov's Attention To Speech
Giles' Communication Accommodation Theory
Bell's Audience Design
Speaker Design Approaches
Language, Identity And Politics
Chapter 2: African American English
Terminology
Genesis
Usage
Features Of African American English
Chapter 3: Persons Of Interest
Biography Barack Obama
Biography Ben Carson
Chapter 4: Contextualization Of Speech Samples
Barack Obama: Speeches And Interviews
Ben Carson: Speeches And Interviews
Chapter 5: Methodology And Variables
Methodology
Variables
Chapter 6: Findings
Barack Obama: Speeches
Barack Obama: Interviews
Topic And Setting
Ben Carson: Speeches
Ben Carson: Interviews
Topic And Setting
Chapter 7: Discussion
Responsive-Based Approaches To Style-Shifting
Speaker Design Approaches To Style-Shifting
Obama
Linguistic Authenticity
Carson
Limitations
Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This study investigates the linguistic performances of two black American politicians, Barack Obama and Ben Carson, by analyzing their use of style-shifting between African American English (AAE) and General American English (GAE). The research aims to understand how these politicians construct their identities and achieve situational goals when addressing audiences of differing ethnic compositions within high-performance political contexts.
- Analysis of style-shifting patterns in political speeches and interviews.
- Comparative sociophonetic study of Obama and Carson using three phonological variables: (ING), (AI), and (R).
- Investigation of audience design and speaker design as rhetorical tools in political discourse.
- Examination of the relationship between linguistic variety, identity construction, and perceived authenticity.
- Evaluation of the impact of setting and topic on linguistic choices in formal political performances.
Excerpt from the Book
Chapter 1: Style And Style-Shifting
In order to analyze if; to what extent; in what form; and why Obama and Carson speak differently when addressing different audiences, the concepts of style and style-shifting are introduced in this chapter.
Speech is influenced by multiple different factors, and sociolinguists have tried to pinpoint these in an attempt to analyze how strongly they can affect a given speaker's style. Language style is the variation present in the speech of any given individual speaker (Wolfram & Schilling 2015, p.387), meaning we can classify “style” as intra-speaker variation; inter-speaker variation, on the other hand, is the variation which is present across whole groups of speakers (Schilling-Estes 2008, p.375). Switching between a range of speech styles – for example by employing features of different varieties like AAE and GAE – within the same conversation or the same speech act is called style-shifting. Schilling-Estes (2008, p.376) defines style-shifting as “shifts into and out of different language varieties, and shifts in usage levels for features associated with these varieties[,]” which may be “deliberate and involve the self-conscious use of features of which the speaker and audience are very aware, or they may be unconscious, involving features that people do not even realize they are using.” These shifts might only last for a few seconds or make up large parts of a person's daily utterances, whether they are verbal or written. People engage in style-shifting, “because language variation is intricately tied to social meaning” and use it to “convey, shape, and re-shape social, interpersonal, personal, and sociolinguistic meanings” (Wolfram & Schilling 2015, p.387).
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: This chapter provides the background on political "high performances" and the controversy surrounding Barack Obama's linguistic choices, establishing the research questions and methodology.
Chapter 1: Style & Style-Shifting: This chapter reviews traditional and contemporary theories of stylistic variation, focusing on the shift from responsive-based approaches like Labov's to Speaker Design models.
Chapter 2: African American English: This chapter defines the linguistic variety under study, exploring its history, debate over terminology, and specific phonological, grammatical, and lexical features.
Chapter 3: Persons Of Interest: This chapter provides biographical overviews of Barack Obama and Ben Carson, focusing on their distinct linguistic backgrounds and formative years.
Chapter 4: Contextualization Of Speech Samples: This chapter details the selection of specific speeches and interviews, providing the necessary context regarding setting, audience, and chronological proximity.
Chapter 5: Methodology And Variables: This chapter describes the sociophonetic methodology, the justification for choosing the variables (ING), (AI), and (R), and the data collection process.
Chapter 6: Findings: This chapter presents the quantitative data from the acoustic analysis, contrasting the stylistic choices of Obama and Carson across different audiences and settings.
Chapter 7: Discussion: This chapter evaluates the empirical results against the theoretical frameworks introduced, analyzing why Obama and Carson diverge in their use of AAE.
Keywords
Style-shifting, African American English, General American English, Speaker Design, Sociophonetics, Barack Obama, Ben Carson, Identity Construction, Political Rhetoric, Audience Design, Language Variation, Linguistic Authenticity, Phonological Variables.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work focuses on intra-speaker linguistic variation, specifically analyzing if and how two high-profile African American politicians, Barack Obama and Ben Carson, style-shift between African American English (AAE) and General American English (GAE) when addressing different audiences.
Which theoretical models underpin the study?
The study transitions from traditional responsive-based theories, such as Labov's Attention to Speech, Giles' Communication Accommodation Theory, and Bell's Audience Design, toward contemporary Speaker Design approaches that view language as an active tool for identity construction.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks if, when, and to what extent Obama and Carson employ features of AAE during high-performance political events, and how these choices reflect their individual identity management and situational goals.
How does the author conduct the linguistic analysis?
The author performs an acoustic analysis of three specific sociophonetic variables—(ING), (AI), and (R)—across selected speeches and interviews, comparing the frequency of AAE vs. GAE variants in various audience and setting contexts.
What content is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers a theoretical review of style-shifting, a linguistic profile of AAE, detailed biographies of the two politicians, the contextualization of the analyzed speech samples, the presentation of findings, and a final discussion connecting the results to identity work.
What keywords best describe this study?
Key terms include style-shifting, African American English, Speaker Design, sociophonetics, identity construction, political rhetoric, and linguistic authenticity.
How does Obama’s stylistic approach differ from Carson’s?
The study finds that Obama actively employs AAE features, particularly when addressing predominantly black audiences in specific contexts, whereas Carson consistently uses GAE across all analyzed samples, effectively maintaining a more static public persona.
Why is the concept of "identity work" central to the conclusion?
The author argues that linguistic choices are not merely responsive to external factors but represent proactive "identity work," where politicians use language to craft and project specific personas, such as Obama's "inspirational" versus "professional" voices or Carson's narrative of socioeconomic ascent.
- Quote paper
- Silvan Wilsch (Author), 2018, Intra-Speaker Variation and Sociophonetic Identity Construction in Political Rhetoric, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/463289
