Language and cultural identity: Perceptions of the role of ...
[Pages:197]Language and cultural identity: Perceptions of the role of language in the construction of Aboriginal identities
by
Claire Owen
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies
Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario
?2011 Claire Owen
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Abstract
The belief in an essential bond between traditional language and cultural identity is prominent in discourses promoting Indigenous languages. It is not always clear, however, to what extent this view corresponds to Aboriginal individuals' actual attitudes regarding their languages. Five semi-structured interviews constitute the primary source of data for this study, supported by a focus group discussion and participatory observation. A bottom-up qualitative approach, discourse analysis (DA), is employed to identify major emergent themes and specific discursive features revealing participants' language attitudes. Key themes include social mobility and cultural continuity, pride and shame, names and naming practices, and land. Findings illustrate that although there are other modes of identification, language remains a prominent manifestation of identity for most participants. An awareness of individual perceptions of the presumed language/identity link may have implications for conceptualising Aboriginality, for understanding the role of language in identity negotiation, and for undertaking language maintenance efforts.
Keywords: language attitudes, cultural identity, Aboriginal, Canada, discourse analysis
iii
Acknowledgements
This thesis could not have been completed without the greatly appreciated support and involvement of a significant number of people. My first debt of gratitude must be paid to the five Aboriginal women who volunteered their time and emotional energy as participants in this project: chi miigwetch (thank you) for your patience, your openness, your strength of character and most of all for sharing with me your own stories and your own truths. I am truly humbled.
I am also deeply indebted to local Aboriginal organisations and community members. Thank you to Mallory Whiteduck, Naomi Sarazin and Irvin Hill at CACE, and Patricia Reynolds and Leslie Cousins at AESP, for your invaluable input during the early stages of research. To the staff at Wabano Centre, Ottawa Inuit Children's Centre and Tungasuwingat Inuit, qujannamiik for welcoming me and allowing me to participate in the wonderful activities and programmes you offer. Chi miigwetch to Elders Paul Skanks, Cle-alls (John Medicine Horse Kelly) and Willy Bruce for your patience, insight and guidance.
Thanks also go to a number of SLALS faculty and staff: my supervisor Jaffer Sheyholislami for your guidance, encouragement, and countless hours of diligent editing; Ellen Cray for your important insights during the writing phase; Devon Woods for the motivating pep talks; and Joan Grant for always having the answers to my many administrative questions.
Merci infiniment to my partner Shane for your unwavering support and for keeping me grounded, and to my family back home for believing in me. Finally, special thanks to my mother, not only for the constant reassurance from nearly 5,000 km away, but because it is thanks to your voice and your song that some of the earliest words I heard were in an Aboriginal language:
Hey, hey watenay Hey, hey watenay Hey, hey watenay
Kah-ni-ki-nah Kah-ni-ki-nah
~ All my relations ~
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Table of Contents
Abstract
ii
Acknowledgements
iii
List of Tables
vi
List of Appendices
vii
List of Abbreviations
viii
Chapter 1: Introduction
1
Chapter 2: Literature Review and Theoretical Framework
7
2.1 Identity: Multiplicity, Sameness and Difference
8
2.2 Language and Identity
12
2.2.1 Language functions: instrumental and symbolic
12
2.2.2 The importance of "mother tongue"
14
2.2.3 Implications
20
2.2.4 Cultural and bicultural identity
25
2.3 Language Attitudes
28
2.4 Investigating Language (Attitudes) and Identity: Discourse Analysis
32
2.4.1 Studies on language and identity
34
2.4.2 Thematic trends in language and identity studies
42
2.5 Language and Identity in an Aboriginal Context in Canada
43
Chapter 3: Methodology
57
3.1 Research Questions
57
3.2 Ethical Considerations
58
3.3 Research Site and Recruitment Process
58
3.4 Participants
61
3.5 Data Collection
64
3.5.1 Participatory observation
65
3.5.2 Focus group
67
3.5.3 Individual interviews
68
3.5.4 Transcription
68
3.6 Data Analysis
69
3.6.1 Thematic coding
69
3.6.2 Linguistic analysis
70
3.7 Study Limitations
75
Chapter 4: Analysis and Findings
77
4.1 Social Mobility and Cultural Continuity
79
4.1.1 Usefulness: A discourse of social mobility
79
4.1.2 Struggle: A discourse of cultural continuity
82
4.2 Pride and Shame
88
4.2.1 Pride and belonging
89
4.2.2 Shame and alienation
95
4.3 Names and Naming Practices
101
4.4 Land
110
4.4.1 Language and land
110
4.4.2 Rural vs. urban
113
V
4.4.3 Tradition vs. modernity
118
4.5 Additional Modes of Identification
122
4.5.1 Additional non-linguistic aspects of Aboriginal identity
122
4.5.2 Non-specific Aboriginal identity
125
4.5.3 Mixed heritage and Canadian identities
128
Chapter 5: Discussion
134
5.1 Summary of Themes
134
5.2 Summary and Discussion of Individual Attitudes
137
5.2.1 Jade
137
5.2.2 Victoria
138
5.2.3 Delia and Winona
141
5.2.4 Sophie
143
5.3 Beyond Instrumental and Symbolic: A Third Language Function?
144
5.4 Pride and Shame: New Twists on Old Themes?
146
5.5 Sketching Cultural Identities in Light of BII
151
5.6 Return to the Research Questions
154
Chapter 6: Conclusion
158
6.1 Further Research Directions
161
References
165
Appendices
178
vi
List of Tables
Table 1: Definitions of mother tongue
15
Table 2: Participant data summary
62
List of Appendices
Appendix A: Participant Biographies Appendix B: Participatory Observation Appendix C: Focus Group Questions Appendix D: Sample Interview Questions
vii
179 184 185 186
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