Doctoral Dissertation Research: Determinants of social meaning

In recent years, the language used to describe social identities has expanded, but little is known within the field of linguistics about how individuals with marginalized identities mark identity in their speech or how identity is perceived through their speech. In addition, some individuals hold multiple marginalized identities. This doctoral dissertation project investigates how marginalized individuals use language as part of their identities and how identities are perceived in social settings. Along with training of a doctoral student, this project will engage underrepresented individuals in scientific research and will disseminate research findings through community organizations. Language is a primary way through which people express their identities, but little is known about how people minoritized in multiple ways use language as part of their identities or how others perceive their use of language in social settings. The researchers are conducting two studies that identify the linguistic elements used by such speakers and how those elements are perceived by various groups of people. The first part of this project examines how people who are minoritized in multiple ways describe different ways that people discuss identity. They determine a set of language features that these speakers use to express their identities and acoustically analyze them using phonetic software. They also conduct an experiment where listeners with varying degrees of shared identities with the speakers hear sentences that have been phonetically manipulated to shift listeners’ social perceptions. In this experiment, listeners hear each sentence and rate the speaker on various social dimensions. This research adds needed breadth within linguistic studies of identity and how language influences social perceptions in new communities. Findings from this project are shared with the communities that are being studied, expanding the reach of scientific research. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.