Sociology Essay The WritePass Journal

Sociology Essay Introduction: Sociology Essay ). Determinists argue that thought processes are affected by language (Boroditsky 2001; Boroditsky, et al 2001, 2003, 2004). Nevertheless, this approach fails to recognise the fluidity of language, which is seen in the development of diaspora communities (Canagarajah, 2007; Haughen, 1972). The perceptions and the ideology of the researcher influence their examination of language, its language links to culture and impact of the person (Zahedi, 2008). Hence, the best model of determinism is ascertained by the researcher’s methodological approach. The empiricist is best suited to the Sapir- Whorfian Hypothesis, because it focuses on linguistic relativity and linguistic determinism (Mooney, 2010). The strong form that â€Å"language determines thought† (Zahedi, 2008, p.29) has been rejected. Instead the viable form is the soft approach, which states language affects thought patterns (Bilik, 2002; Zahedi, 2008). This has been supported by a number of studies (Boroditsky 2001; Boroditsky, et al 2001, 2003, 2004). This is an anthropological approach to language (i.e. externalist approach). Thus, language develops in a flexibly, especially when different cultures clash (Bilik, 2002). Culture clash will have two effects, the first is that the language will adapt to the new community (Collinge, 2002, p. 254; De Bot Stoessel, 2002). Thus, a broader understanding of language needs to be engaged with, such as the Saussurean approach. The Saussurean is an internalist approach, which identifies the arbitrariness of linguistic signs identified in the externalist framework (Zahedi, 2008, p.25). This article argues both the internalist and externalist approaches to language are necessary. Thus, Zahedi (2008) argues that just focusing on Sapir- Whorfian determinism will limit sociological understandings of language. A broader application of language and culture is essential, especially in the multicultural or transnational community (Safar, 2004). This is because clashes between cultures or resident state and HL preservation can change the perceptions of the person (Knight, 2002). The application to the Multicultural London is interesting, because the use of West Indian patios in other communities is clearly identifiable. It seems that this language has become part of the urban landscape. Thus, applying a narrow assimilative approach is not appropriate. Rather, a mixed approach to determinism is necessary, in order to understand how language affects the person and its connection to the social landscape (i.e. the link between West Indian patois and London’s urban landsc ape. . References: Alfonsi, C, Kokot, W Toloyan, K (2004). Diaspora, Identity and Religion: New Directions in Theory and Research London: Routledge Bilik, N. (2002). The Ethnicity of Anthropology in China: Discursive Diversity and Linguistic Relativity. Critique of Anthropology Vol 22, No 2, 133-148 Blunt, A. (2007). â€Å"Cultural Geographies of Migration: Mobility, Transnationality and Diaspora† Progress in Human GeographyVol. 31, Iss 5: 684-694 Blunt, A. and Dowling, R. (2006) Home. London: Routledge Boroditsky, L, Phillips W, and Schmidt., LA. (2004) Can Quirks of Grammar Affect the   Way You Think? Grammatical Gender Categories and the Mental Representation of Objects. Manuscript. Stanford, CA: Stanford University. Boroditsky, L,. Schmidt, LA and Phillips, W (2003). Sex, Syntax and Semantics. in Language in Mind: Advances in the Study of Language and Thought, edited by D. Gentner and S. Goldin-Meadow. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press., pp. 61-67 Byon, A. (2003). Language socialization and Korean as a heritage language: A study of Canagarajah, S. (2007). Lingua Franca English, Multilingual Communities, and Language Acquisition. Modern Language Journal Vol 91, pp. 923-939 Cohen, R (2008). Global Diasporas: An Introduction London: Routledge Collinge, NE. (2002). An Encyclopaedia of Language Taylor Francis De Bot, K and Stoessel, S. (2002). Introduction: Language and Social Networks. International Journal of the Sociology of the Language Vol. 2002. Iss. 153. 1-7 Fairclough, N. (2001). Language and Culture London: Longman Gammage, S. Paul, A. Machado, M. Benitez, M. (2005). Gender Migration and Transnational Communities. A Draft Prepared for the Inter-American Foundation April 2005 Washington DC. Retrieved from: http://previous.wiego.org/pdf/Gammage-Gender-Migration-Transnational-Communities.pdf Gibbons, J., Ramirez, E. (2004). Maintaining a minority language: A case study of Hispanic Teenagers. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters Giles, H. (Ed). (1984). The dynamics of speech accommodation. International Journal of the   Sociology of Language pp. 46 Haller, W and Landolt, P. (2005). The Transnational Dimensions of Identity Formation: Adult Children of Immigrants in Miami Identity Formation 1182-1209 Harris, R. (2006) New Ethnicities and Language Use. London: Palgrave Hawaiian classrooms. Language, Culture and Curriculum Vol 16, 269–283 He, AW. (2010). The Heart of Heritage: Sociological Dimensions of Heritage Language Learning. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics Vol. 30, 66-82 Hojat, M., D, Foroughi, H. Mahmoudi, F. Holakouee. (2010). A Desire to Return to the Country of Birth as a Function of Language Preference: An Empirical Study with Iranian Immigrants in the United States. International Migration, Vol 48 Iss. 3, 158-173 Honeycutt, C Cunliffe, D. (2010). The Use of the Welsh Language on Facebook: An initial investigation. Information, Communication Society Vol. 13, Iss. 2 226-248 Knight, WA. (2002). Conceptualising Transnational Community Formation: Migrants, Sojourners and Diasporas in a Globalised Era. Canadian Studies in Population Vol. 29, Iss. 1, 1-30 Lam, SEL and Warriner, DS. (2012). Transnationalism and Literacy: Investigating the Mobility of People, Languages, Texts and Practices in Contexts of Migration. Research Reading Quarterly Vol 47, iss. 2, pp. 191 Mooney, A. (2010). Language, Thought and Representation in Language, Society and Power: An Introduction 3rd Edition (eds, Mooney, A, Stilwell Pecci, J , Labelle, S et al) Routledge Portes, A (2003). ‘Conclusion: theoretical convergences and empirical evidence in the study of immigrant Transnationalism’, International Migration Review, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 874-892 Safran, W. (2004). Deconstruction and Comparing Diasporas. New York: Taylor Francis Schupach, D. (2008) Shared Languages, Shared Identities, Shared Stories: A Qualitative Study of Life Stories by Immigrants from German-Speaking Switzerland in Australia Frankfurt: Peter Lang Singer, A. (2004) â€Å"The Rise of New Immigrant Gateways,† Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, The Brookings Institution, The Living cities Census Series, Washington DC, February 2004. Singer, A. S. Friedman, I. Cheung and M. Price (2001) â€Å"The World in A Zip Code: Greater Washington D.C. as a New Region of Immigration,† Center on Urban and Metropolitan   Policy, Brookings Greater Washington Research Program, The Brookings Institution. Walter, B. (2001), Outsiders inside: whiteness, place and Irish women. London: Routledge Zahedi, K. (2008). â€Å"Determinist Inquiries: Debates on the Foundation of Language† International Inquiries: Debates on the Foundation of Language Vol. 1, Iss 1, 26-50