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

Donnelly, Michael; Barratta, Alex; Gamsu, Sol

doi:10.1177/1360780418816335

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

Donnelly, Michael; Barratta, Alex; Gamsu, Sol

Authors

Michael Donnelly

Alex Barratta

Dr Sol Gamsu sol.j.gamsu@durham.ac.uk
Assistant Professor

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

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Copyright Statement
Donnelly, Michael, Barratta, Alex & Gamsu, Sol (2019). A Sociolinguistic Perspective on Accent and Social Mobility in the UK Teaching Profession. Sociological Research Online 24(4): 496-513. Copyright © The Author(s) 2018. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications.