A Sociolinguistic Perspective on Accent and Social Mobility in the UK Teaching Profession

Donnelly, Michael; Barratta, Alex; Gamsu, Sol

Abstract

A new interdisciplinary approach to understanding the role of accent in relation to intergenerational social mobility is introduced here. Sociological analyses that attend to accent often focus on broader regional distinctions or construct limiting dichotomies of accents, rather than capturing the full variety and range of accents, often found at smaller geographic levels. Drawing on the case of the teaching profession and using qualitative data collected as part of a study of teachers, we illustrate how integrating sociolinguistics into a sociological analysis of social mobility would allow us to combine the micro-geography of class, mobility, and speech to a more granular level. The analytical tools provided by sociolinguistics, outlined here, could push forward work on understanding prospects for, and experiences of, social mobility.

Citation

Donnelly, M., Barratta, A., & Gamsu, S. (2019). A Sociolinguistic Perspective on Accent and Social Mobility in the UK Teaching Profession. Sociological Research Online, 24(4), 496-513. https://doi.org/10.1177/1360780418816335

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 5, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Jan 23, 2019
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Feb 4, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 5, 2019
• Journal: Sociological Research Online
• Electronic ISSN: 1360-7804
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 496-513
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1360780418816335
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1303805