Friday, September 14, 2007

Corectness and Prejudice - Interaction for preservation

I found this subject of correctness and prejudice in language such a universal occurrence. Every single person I talk to about this issue could immediately relate to the phenomenon. Each person, no matter what their provenance, is aware of language varieties of their country of origin. The elite leaders of societies create social classes and regulate the uniformity and functionality of each one of its group. By conforming to the rules people ensure their belonging within their social group, as well as their protection from possible harm from other groups. To support their economic need, leaders use social and political discourses to create invisible boundaries that control people. However, I think that people want freedom and flexibility in their interactions and in the way they conduct their daily family and social lives. I believe that this tension leads people to adhere to their own subgroups and defend their social norms through language. A group that creates its norms also creates its “category and identity”. The larger a group, the stronger it is, thus a greater chance of survival. To accept the different ways of speaking is to recognize our true human nature. From now on, I am going to listen carefully to the sounds around me.

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