Gender prestige and code choices: a sociolinguistics study of Punjabi Urdu and English bilinguals
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Date
2010
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Abstract
This study aims at analyzing how the social parameter of gender affects the choices of the codes* among Punjabi, Urdu and English bilinguals in Pakistan. It examines any possible gender difference in the pattern of choices of codes among these bilinguals. It looks at how this gender difference in the
tendency and pattern of code choices is related with the speaker's gender and the social status and prestige of the language. In a bid to verify the existence of what Fasold refers as ‘the sociolinguistic
gender pattern' (92), and what Labov considers ‘the first principal of sexual differentiation'(“Intersection of Sex” 205), this research answers the question that whether or not men and women tend to use higher-status language in different proportions under the similar social and situational contexts and domains. Causal-comparative research design has been opted for this study. The code choices behavior data was collected from the sample population of 180 students, 90 boys and 90 girls purposely selected from the two campuses of Punjab College, Gujrat. The selected population comprised of young (17-21 years old) Punjabi, Urdu and English bilinguals from male and female ‘homogeneous' gender groups. Both the gender groups were homogeneous as during the stage of sampling a Sociolinguistic Questionnaire was used to make sure that both the gender groups were almost similar to each other in their social, psychological, ethnic and linguistic background. The code
choice behavior of our selected sample population was studied at two levels, i.e., a) at societal or domain level and b) at the inter-personal level. The code choice behavior data under the similar social
and situational situation was measured at societal or domain level by using a Language Behavior Questionnaire. On the other hand, code choices behavior under the influence of internal and personal factors was measured by generating and recording a discussion between 4-5 member friends' groups
on a given topic within the same-gender conversation. Our data was qualitatively analyzed to work out the frequencies of code choices both at domain level and interpersonal level. The results verified
the existence of sociolinguistic gender-pattern of code choices among Punjabi, Urdu and English bilinguals.
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Sociolinguistics, Gender affects