Reading Working Papers in Linguistics 4 (2000) - The University of ...

J. MARSHALL
for data such as Milroy’s showing a high correlation between language use
and social network scores (the dotted lines). At the same time it can account
for a lack of correlation between these two variables, such as is found in
Pedersen’s work in Denmark and in the Doric Study. The dotted line shows
that a person’s positive mental orientation can cause that person to choose a
relatively high degree of integration into a local network, but that this is not
automatic. Such an attitude is, however, likely to cause a high degree of
behavioural integration, as is shown by Pedersen’s data and that from the
Doric Study. It is not suggested for a moment that linguistic norms found
within a speech community or social network will not have an influence on a
person’s speech; merely that the speaker has the power to choose whether to
copy these features. It is a question of actuation and agency.
This would account for differing individuals, with different character
traits, such as relative introversion, being able, on the one hand, to signal
positive mental orientation to the local group in everyday interactions, but, on
the other hand, to choose a relatively low degree of integration into the
networks of the local group. Of course, this viewpoint does not explain how
those speakers who have a positive mental orientation to a local urban speech
community and would like to signal this in their language use, but decide to
have relatively low degrees of network integration, gain access to changing
vernacular norms. In fact, it is much more powerful as an explanatory device
for rural speech communities where the vernacular is a conservative, rather
than innovative variety. In this type of speech community, the vernacular
norms are available in the speech of older people and in everyday speech
events between farming and fishing folk, and in village shops, for example.
Access to them is not dependent upon high levels of integration into social
networks. They have been in use for generations, and are therefore known by
people in the community, and can be used in speech to signify a less or more
positive mental orientation to the local community. By contrast, in a
community where the vernacular is a rapidly changing urban variety, such as
the one found in Eckert’s (2000) study in Belten High School, strong network
ties would be required for a speaker to gain access to the constantly changing
vernacular norms. This is illustrated in Figure 2.
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