Difference hypothesis (sociolinguistics)

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The difference hypothesis is an assumption developed at the end of the 1960s by the American sociolinguist William Labov that the forms of linguistic usage typical for different social groups are functionally equivalent with regard to the breadth and differentiation of the means of expression as well as with regard to the recording of logical connections.

This thesis was developed by Labov as a critical response to the deficit hypothesis of Basil Bernstein placed after the parlance of the members of social underclass is in deficit. According to Labov, the linguistic use of the lower social class is different from the linguistic use of the middle and upper classes, but it should not be viewed as deficient.

William Labov has u. a. compared the use of standard English with the nonstandard English of black ghetto children. Labov proves the complexity and systematic nature as well as the communicative efficiency of the language used by the ghetto children. The results of this research project can be found in the book "The Study of Nonstandard English".

Labov advocates that a certain form of language usage should not be taken as a yardstick, but that the respective functioning and the specific performance of a language form should be described. Behind this is the notion that every form of language is adapted to its respective functional area. This assumption forms the basis of modern sociolinguistics not only in relation to socio-economic classes , but also in relation to other extra-linguistic parameters.

Primary literature

  • William Labov: The Study of Nonstandard English. National Council of Teachers of English, Washington DC 1969.

Secondary literature

  • Ernst, Peter: German Linguistics. Vienna: WUV, 2008 (UTB; 2541), pp. 272–277.

supporting documents

  1. ^ A b Angelika Linke, Markus Nussbaumer, Paul R. Portmann-Tselikas: Study book linguistics . Niemeyer, Tübingen 1994, ISBN 3-484-31121-5 , p. 302.
  2. ↑ Angelika Linke, Markus Nussbaumer, Paul R. Portmann-Tselikas: Study book linguistics . Niemeyer, Tübingen 1994, ISBN 3-484-31121-5 , p. 299
  3. ^ William Labov: The Study of Nonstandard English. National Council of Teachers of English, Washington DC 1969.
  4. ^ University of Osnabrück: Osnabrück Contributions to Language Theory, Volume 19 Osnabrück Contributions to Language Theory, University of Osnabrück. Department of Communication / Aesthetics . Ed .: Department of Communication / Aesthetics. Faculty 7, Communication / Aesthetics, University of Osnabrück, 1982, p. 58 ( Google Books ).
  5. ↑ Bastian Heger: Sociolinguistic considerations on the phenomenon Bastian Sick: The discussion in Info DaF or a recent controversy about deficit and difference hypotheses . GRIN Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-3-640-68471-7 ( Google Books page 4 ff ).