Gender, group identity and variation in usage of the Berlin Urban Vernacular

Johnson, SA

Abstract

The relationship between gender, group identity and variation in usage of the Berlin
Urban Vernacular (BUY) is explored empirically, with particular attention paid to
methodologies applied for the analysis of gender differences in sociolinguistic research.
The study is based on a network of 24 native Berliners (13 men and 11 women),
referred to as the "Berlin group" Friendship ties and activities within the group are
explored qualitatively and the findings quantified in the form of a "Group Identity
Score" (GIS) allocated to each informant. 21 hours of speech were then recorded by
means of the participant observation method over an eight-month period. The linguistic
corpus is analyzed in terms of potential correlation between gender, GIS and variation
in usage of 15 phonological variables of the Berlin Urban Vernacular. No differences
are found in the actual quantity of dialectal variants used by men and women, though
a number of differences emerge in the way men and women appear to use variants of
the BUV in order to identify with the Berlin group as a whole.

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jul 23, 2021
• Additional Information: Funders : British Academy State Studentship; Grant Number: UP 87/1292
• Award Date: Jan 1, 1991