Whether we think about it or not, the dialect or accent someone uses influences what we think about them before we even get to know the person. For example I tend to stereotype people who have a New York or a New Jersey accents as people are or would be incredibly rude. As I’m sure we all know or can surmise, dialects and accents are regionally based, I can think of four different dialects off the top of my head in the United States alone. It’s very easy to listen to someone speak and create a stereotype or opinion of their life when the truth could be the complete opposite.
Unfortunately it is pretty safe to say we all do it in some way, the way personal experiences and the way society around us portrays most people tend to make our stereotypes true more often than not. When we look at things like television and movies, we see this all the time. Even though most of us are aware enough to know that stereotyping people like this is wrong, the way we observe and take in everything around us, it’s just human nature to assume the worst. Relaying back to television, the way T.V. shows portray gang members and their speech, when I hear someone speak just like that in real life, I can’t help but think “He’s in a gang.” I personally hate that that is the place I go to first, but there isn’t much evidence in the world to make me think of the positive originally.
Gang members are obviously not the only stereotype we look at, when you hear someone with a southern accent what do you think? Because I’ve spent half of my life living in Texas, what we think may be different. I feel that in movies or television people with southern accents, or at least a Texan accent, are seen as a “slower” member of society and/or are cowboys. I know this to be false, although in the rural parts of the south, you are more likely to meet a farmer or a cowboy, but they are outnumbered by people who are not in the cities and growing neighborhoods. So like the dialects that vary by region, the perception of these accents also varies by region.
Although we know the stereotypes are there, it’s kind of hard to think how they got started in the first place. The only explanation I can think of is simply someone hearing or using the kind of dialect or accent and it just spread from there. Keeping in line with the gang member reference, I think that it just spread so new/other gang members can feel a sense of togetherness through the use of language. Thinking about it, that makes sense as a whole; other people adopt/use certain dialects in order to fit in or in some cases to stand out in their local communities. So it’s pretty safe to say that the dialects and the stereotypes that go with them won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
I think your right Austin, accent and dialect does lead to most of us stereotyping someone. It could be in a good way or a bad way, but it comes down to falsely judging someone. Though I know I am guilty of this too, I cant help but to think about “The Situation” when I hear a New Jersey accent. Terrible I know, but I suppose it’s a good thing I don’t say it out loud. Yet I think we all forget to think about what our own accent may be saying. I used to always think I had no accent but after a few of the readings in our textbook I came to find that the way I talk could lead to accusations about me. We may not notice it as much when we are raised around a group of similar people. We begin to catch on to certain parts of the speech of others. Because you’ve lived in Texas, do you notice the differences of your accent to the people around you? Or are you used to it? Its interesting to me because our environment affects the way we speak. My room mates brother is visiting from Texas, and at first it was very noticeable. Yet over time I got used to it and I don’t notice it as much. My Texan cowboy stereotype was also broken when a skinny bald tattooed kid walked in. Anyway I enjoyed your blog! Great observations.
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