Hans Ladegaard
2021
Ladegaard, Hans; Nartey, Mark
Constructing undesirables: A critical discourse analysis of othering of Fulani nomads in the Ghanaian news media Journal Article
In: Discourse & Communication, 15 (2), 2021.
@article{Ladegaard2021,
title = {Constructing undesirables: A critical discourse analysis of othering of Fulani nomads in the Ghanaian news media},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Mark Nartey},
doi = {10.1177/1750481320982095},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-01-08},
urldate = {2021-01-08},
journal = {Discourse & Communication},
volume = {15},
number = {2},
abstract = {The activities of Fulani nomads in Ghana have gained considerable media attention and engendered continuing public debate. In this paper, we analyze the prejudiced portrayals of the nomads in the Ghanaian news media, and how these contribute to an exclusionist and a discriminatory discourse that puts the nomads at the margins of Ghanaian society. The study employs a critical discourse analysis framework and draws on a dataset of 160 articles, including news stories, editorials and op-ed pieces. The analysis reveals that the nomads are discursively constructed as undesirables through an othering process that centers on three discourses: a discourse of dangerousness/criminalization, a discourse of alienization, and a discourse of stigmatization. This anti-nomad/Fulani rhetoric is evident in the choice of sensational headlines, alarmist news content, organization of arguments, and use of quotations. The paper concludes with a call for more balanced and critical news reporting on the nomads, especially since issues surrounding them border on national cohesion and security.},
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The activities of Fulani nomads in Ghana have gained considerable media attention and engendered continuing public debate. In this paper, we analyze the prejudiced portrayals of the nomads in the Ghanaian news media, and how these contribute to an exclusionist and a discriminatory discourse that puts the nomads at the margins of Ghanaian society. The study employs a critical discourse analysis framework and draws on a dataset of 160 articles, including news stories, editorials and op-ed pieces. The analysis reveals that the nomads are discursively constructed as undesirables through an othering process that centers on three discourses: a discourse of dangerousness/criminalization, a discourse of alienization, and a discourse of stigmatization. This anti-nomad/Fulani rhetoric is evident in the choice of sensational headlines, alarmist news content, organization of arguments, and use of quotations. The paper concludes with a call for more balanced and critical news reporting on the nomads, especially since issues surrounding them border on national cohesion and security.
2020
Ladegaard, Hans; McKeown, Jamie
Exploring dominance-linked reflexive metadiscourse in moderated group discussions Journal Article
In: Journal of Pragmatics, 166 , pp. 15-27, 2020.
@article{Ladegaard2020,
title = {Exploring dominance-linked reflexive metadiscourse in moderated group discussions},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Jamie McKeown},
doi = {10.1016/j.pragma.2020.05.007},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-09-21},
urldate = {2020-09-21},
journal = {Journal of Pragmatics},
volume = {166},
pages = {15-27},
abstract = {This paper examines the use of reflexive metadiscourse by moderators and participants seeking to achieve communicative dominance in moderated group discussions. Specifically, it explores how the use of what we call dominance-linked reflexive metadiscourse contributes to effective group performance (defined here as the achievement of sustained, on-topic interaction amongst research participants). In doing so, we identify and map the communicative functions of reflexive metadiscourse onto a stage model of group development. We identify three key stages in a typical group life cycle where dominance-linked reflexive metadiscourse plays a seminal role in the outcome of a given moderated group discussion (i.e. the forming, transition, and performing stages). In adopting a qualitative, micro-interactional and contextually sensitive approach, we question the role of high explicitness as identification criteria of reflexive metadiscourse in spoken data. We conclude with a discussion of the practical and methodological implications arising out of this paper and make recommendations for future research.},
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This paper examines the use of reflexive metadiscourse by moderators and participants seeking to achieve communicative dominance in moderated group discussions. Specifically, it explores how the use of what we call dominance-linked reflexive metadiscourse contributes to effective group performance (defined here as the achievement of sustained, on-topic interaction amongst research participants). In doing so, we identify and map the communicative functions of reflexive metadiscourse onto a stage model of group development. We identify three key stages in a typical group life cycle where dominance-linked reflexive metadiscourse plays a seminal role in the outcome of a given moderated group discussion (i.e. the forming, transition, and performing stages). In adopting a qualitative, micro-interactional and contextually sensitive approach, we question the role of high explicitness as identification criteria of reflexive metadiscourse in spoken data. We conclude with a discussion of the practical and methodological implications arising out of this paper and make recommendations for future research.
Ladegaard, Hans
Talking About Trauma in Migrant Worker Returnee Narratives: Mental Health Issues Book Chapter
In: pp. 3-27, Springer, Singapore, 2020.
@inbook{Ladegaard2020b,
title = {Talking About Trauma in Migrant Worker Returnee Narratives: Mental Health Issues},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1007/978-981-15-4389-0_1},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-06-02},
urldate = {2020-06-02},
pages = {3-27},
publisher = {Springer, Singapore},
abstract = {This chapter reports on a research project about Indonesian and Filipina migrant worker returnees. Shortly after their return, they were invited to participate in a sharing session with other migrant workers and a researcher about their experiences as migrant workers and about their homecoming. 107 women participated in 30 sharing sessions and all the stories were transcribed and (for some) translated. A large number of the women were (sexually) assaulted while they worked overseas and return to their home countries deeply traumatised. First, the chapter analyses some narrative excerpts in which the women talk about (sexual) assault and other traumatic experiences. The stories are notably incoherent and disconnected, characterised by voids in the narrative flow. This is typical of trauma storytelling but is sometimes used against the women to discredit their stories. Then the chapter discusses the mental health issues involved in these women’s stories and what scholars can do to address them. The findings from the current dataset suggest that hundreds of traumatised women return to Indonesia every year with no access to proper healthcare or professional therapy, and the chapter discusses what can be done to meet these women’s needs.},
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This chapter reports on a research project about Indonesian and Filipina migrant worker returnees. Shortly after their return, they were invited to participate in a sharing session with other migrant workers and a researcher about their experiences as migrant workers and about their homecoming. 107 women participated in 30 sharing sessions and all the stories were transcribed and (for some) translated. A large number of the women were (sexually) assaulted while they worked overseas and return to their home countries deeply traumatised. First, the chapter analyses some narrative excerpts in which the women talk about (sexual) assault and other traumatic experiences. The stories are notably incoherent and disconnected, characterised by voids in the narrative flow. This is typical of trauma storytelling but is sometimes used against the women to discredit their stories. Then the chapter discusses the mental health issues involved in these women’s stories and what scholars can do to address them. The findings from the current dataset suggest that hundreds of traumatised women return to Indonesia every year with no access to proper healthcare or professional therapy, and the chapter discusses what can be done to meet these women’s needs.
Ladegaard, Hans
Language competence, identity construction and discursive boundary-making: Distancing and alignment in domestic migrant worker narratives Journal Article
In: International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2020 (262), pp. 97-122, 2020.
@article{Ladegaard2020bb,
title = {Language competence, identity construction and discursive boundary-making: Distancing and alignment in domestic migrant worker narratives},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1515/ijsl-2019-2071},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-03-26},
urldate = {2020-03-26},
journal = {International Journal of the Sociology of Language},
volume = {2020},
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abstract = {Many people in developing countries are faced with a dilemma. If they stay at home, their children are kept in poverty with no prospects of a better future; if they become migrant workers, they will suffer long-term separation from their families. This article focuses on one of the weakest groups in the global economy: domestic migrant workers. It draws on a corpus of more than 400 narratives recorded at a church shelter in Hong Kong and among migrant worker returnees in rural Indonesia and the Philippines. In sharing sessions, migrant women share their experiences of working for abusive employers, and the article analyses how language is used to include and exclude. The women tell how their employers construct them as “incompetent” and “stupid” because they do not speak Chinese. However, faced by repression and marginalisation, the women use their superior English language skills to get back at their employers and momentarily gain the upper hand. Drawing on ideologies of language as the theoretical concept, the article provides a discourse analysis of selected excerpts focusing on language competence and identity construction.},
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Many people in developing countries are faced with a dilemma. If they stay at home, their children are kept in poverty with no prospects of a better future; if they become migrant workers, they will suffer long-term separation from their families. This article focuses on one of the weakest groups in the global economy: domestic migrant workers. It draws on a corpus of more than 400 narratives recorded at a church shelter in Hong Kong and among migrant worker returnees in rural Indonesia and the Philippines. In sharing sessions, migrant women share their experiences of working for abusive employers, and the article analyses how language is used to include and exclude. The women tell how their employers construct them as “incompetent” and “stupid” because they do not speak Chinese. However, faced by repression and marginalisation, the women use their superior English language skills to get back at their employers and momentarily gain the upper hand. Drawing on ideologies of language as the theoretical concept, the article provides a discourse analysis of selected excerpts focusing on language competence and identity construction.
Ladegaard, Hans; Phipps, Alison
Notes towards a socially engaged LAIC Journal Article
In: Language and Intercultural Communication, 20 (2), pp. 218-219, 2020.
@article{Ladegaard2020bb,
title = {Notes towards a socially engaged LAIC},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Alison Phipps},
doi = {10.1080/14708477.2020.1722688},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-03-03},
urldate = {2020-03-03},
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Ladegaard, Hans; Phipps, Alison
Intercultural research and social activism Journal Article
In: Language and Intercultural Communication, 20 (2), pp. 67-80, 2020.
@article{Ladegaard2020bb,
title = {Intercultural research and social activism},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Alison Phipps},
doi = {10.1080/14708477.2020.1729786},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-03-03},
urldate = {2020-03-03},
journal = {Language and Intercultural Communication},
volume = {20},
number = {2},
pages = {67-80},
abstract = {In this introductory paper, we argue for a stronger link between language and intercultural communication research, theory development, and social/political action. We aim to reignite the debate about our role as public transformative intellectuals and to let advocacy and empowerment be embedded in our work. This calls for a shift in focus from the elite groups who have dominated the intercultural narrative to disenfranchised groups like refugees and (forced) migrant workers. We also reflect on our multi-positionality as scholars, and we present a dialectics of language, intercultural communication and social activism. Finally, we introduce the 12 papers that comprise the Special Issue.},
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In this introductory paper, we argue for a stronger link between language and intercultural communication research, theory development, and social/political action. We aim to reignite the debate about our role as public transformative intellectuals and to let advocacy and empowerment be embedded in our work. This calls for a shift in focus from the elite groups who have dominated the intercultural narrative to disenfranchised groups like refugees and (forced) migrant workers. We also reflect on our multi-positionality as scholars, and we present a dialectics of language, intercultural communication and social activism. Finally, we introduce the 12 papers that comprise the Special Issue.
Ladegaard, Hans; McKeown, Jamie
Exploring the metadiscursive realisation of incivility in TV news discourse Journal Article
In: Discourse, Context & Media, 33 (100367), pp. 100367, 2020.
@article{Ladegaard2020bb,
title = {Exploring the metadiscursive realisation of incivility in TV news discourse},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Jamie McKeown},
doi = {10.1016/j.dcm.2019.100367},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-03-01},
urldate = {2020-03-01},
journal = {Discourse, Context & Media},
volume = {33},
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abstract = {The present paper examines the use of metadiscourse in the realisation of incivility in TV news discourse. We take empirical data from a UK Channel 4 News interview between TV journalist and author Cathy Newman and clinical psychologist and author Professor Jordan Peterson. Adopting a discourse analytic approach, five aspects of incivility are presented: intolerant response; ideological entrenchment; low oppositional literacy; the need to win; and, change of opinion condemnation. We show how metadiscourse is used to manifest incivility in a number of ways including to prioritise the current speaker’s foci over those of the interlocutor; to express metalingual commentary which negatively characterises the interlocutor's discourse; and, to express discourse norms which undermine the open exchange of ideas. We conclude by suggesting recommendations for future research.},
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The present paper examines the use of metadiscourse in the realisation of incivility in TV news discourse. We take empirical data from a UK Channel 4 News interview between TV journalist and author Cathy Newman and clinical psychologist and author Professor Jordan Peterson. Adopting a discourse analytic approach, five aspects of incivility are presented: intolerant response; ideological entrenchment; low oppositional literacy; the need to win; and, change of opinion condemnation. We show how metadiscourse is used to manifest incivility in a number of ways including to prioritise the current speaker’s foci over those of the interlocutor; to express metalingual commentary which negatively characterises the interlocutor's discourse; and, to express discourse norms which undermine the open exchange of ideas. We conclude by suggesting recommendations for future research.
Ladegaard, Hans; McKeown, Jamie
Evidentiality and identity positioning in online disputes about language use in Hong Kong Journal Article
In: Journal of Applied Linguistics and Professional Practice 14(1): DOI:, 14 (1), pp. 53-74, 2020.
@article{Ladegaard2020bb,
title = {Evidentiality and identity positioning in online disputes about language use in Hong Kong},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Jamie McKeown},
doi = {10.1558/jalpp.35604},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-03-01},
urldate = {2020-03-01},
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abstract = {This paper analyses online disputes amongst a group of students about the use of language (Cantonese versus Putonghua) in Hong Kong. Using evidentiality and identity positioning frameworks, we analyse 44 student posts to a proprietary online forum. Particular attention is paid to the construction of a Hong Kong social identity, the various identity positions that underpin such a construction, and how such identity work is supported by the use of evidentiality. The analysis shows that Hong Kong locals are most often constructed as an oppressed, marginalised minority who are denied the right of authentic expression and are subject to a process of politically expedient cultural denigration. The analysis also shows that evidential choices are intimately bound with identity positions at both the discourse-production level and discourse-content level. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for applied linguistics in Hong Kong’s schools and universities.},
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This paper analyses online disputes amongst a group of students about the use of language (Cantonese versus Putonghua) in Hong Kong. Using evidentiality and identity positioning frameworks, we analyse 44 student posts to a proprietary online forum. Particular attention is paid to the construction of a Hong Kong social identity, the various identity positions that underpin such a construction, and how such identity work is supported by the use of evidentiality. The analysis shows that Hong Kong locals are most often constructed as an oppressed, marginalised minority who are denied the right of authentic expression and are subject to a process of politically expedient cultural denigration. The analysis also shows that evidential choices are intimately bound with identity positions at both the discourse-production level and discourse-content level. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for applied linguistics in Hong Kong’s schools and universities.
2019
Ladegaard, Hans
Scripts of servitude: language, labor migration and transnational domestic work Journal Article
In: Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 40 (3), pp. 1-2, 2019.
@article{Ladegaard2019,
title = {Scripts of servitude: language, labor migration and transnational domestic work},
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2018
Ladegaard, Hans
Reconceptualising ‘home’, ‘family’ and ‘self’: identity struggles in domestic migrant worker returnee narratives Journal Article
In: Language and Intercultural Communication, 19 (3), pp. 1-15, 2018.
@article{Ladegaard2018,
title = {Reconceptualising ‘home’, ‘family’ and ‘self’: identity struggles in domestic migrant worker returnee narratives},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1080/14708477.2018.1509984},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-08-26},
urldate = {2018-08-26},
journal = {Language and Intercultural Communication},
volume = {19},
number = {3},
pages = {1-15},
abstract = {This article reports on a study of domestic migrant worker returnee narratives. The stories were recorded in villages in Java, Indonesia, and the women talk about their experience of remigration. Because of years of separation, family members are ‘family’ only in name, and the familiar concept of ‘home’ has become a strange place. The homecoming therefore involves attempts to redefine ‘self’ and ‘home’, and to reconnect emotionally with estranged family members. The article also considers returnee narratives as a critique of current identity research, which assumes that everybody ‘has’ or ‘owns’ an identity, but fails to recognise that for many people in developing countries, identity is an enforced position for which there is no alternative. It has to be occupied and it is not attributed with any prestige and therefore, cannot be used a resource for enhancing privilege. Finally, the article argues that migrant workers’ experiences should be included in our thinking about globalisation and intercultural communication.},
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This article reports on a study of domestic migrant worker returnee narratives. The stories were recorded in villages in Java, Indonesia, and the women talk about their experience of remigration. Because of years of separation, family members are ‘family’ only in name, and the familiar concept of ‘home’ has become a strange place. The homecoming therefore involves attempts to redefine ‘self’ and ‘home’, and to reconnect emotionally with estranged family members. The article also considers returnee narratives as a critique of current identity research, which assumes that everybody ‘has’ or ‘owns’ an identity, but fails to recognise that for many people in developing countries, identity is an enforced position for which there is no alternative. It has to be occupied and it is not attributed with any prestige and therefore, cannot be used a resource for enhancing privilege. Finally, the article argues that migrant workers’ experiences should be included in our thinking about globalisation and intercultural communication.
Ladegaard, Hans
We're only here to help: Identity struggles in foreign domestic helper narratives. In D.v.d. Mieroop and S. Schnurr (Eds.) Identity Struggles: Evidence from Workplaces around the Wrold. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Book Chapter
In: pp. 427-443, John Benjamins, 2018.
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title = {We're only here to help: Identity struggles in foreign domestic helper narratives. In D.v.d. Mieroop and S. Schnurr (Eds.) Identity Struggles: Evidence from Workplaces around the Wrold. Amsterdam: John Benjamins},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-08-22},
urldate = {2018-08-22},
pages = {427-443},
publisher = {John Benjamins},
abstract = {This chapter draws on a large corpus of the lives of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong. Narratives were recorded at a church shelter that provides temporary accommodation to domestic workers, and the analyses focus on the identity struggles the women are engaged in. They have to accept an enforced identity as maids, who cannot even claim the right to be respected as human beings, but they are also struggling to claim a positive identity as ‘helpers’ who are in Hong Kong to serve God and their families. The chapter argues that the women’s identity as Christian servants allows them to overcome their hardships. It also argues that scholars need to pay attention to how FDHs label themselves. It considers the women’s testimonies about themselves and it argues that marginalised groups should label themselves in ways that are meaningful to them.},
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This chapter draws on a large corpus of the lives of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong. Narratives were recorded at a church shelter that provides temporary accommodation to domestic workers, and the analyses focus on the identity struggles the women are engaged in. They have to accept an enforced identity as maids, who cannot even claim the right to be respected as human beings, but they are also struggling to claim a positive identity as ‘helpers’ who are in Hong Kong to serve God and their families. The chapter argues that the women’s identity as Christian servants allows them to overcome their hardships. It also argues that scholars need to pay attention to how FDHs label themselves. It considers the women’s testimonies about themselves and it argues that marginalised groups should label themselves in ways that are meaningful to them.
Ladegaard, Hans
Workplace narratives. In B. Vine (Ed), Handbook of Language in the Workplace. London: Routledge Book Chapter
In: pp. 242-252, Routledge, 2018.
@inbook{Ladegaard2018bb,
title = {Workplace narratives. In B. Vine (Ed), Handbook of Language in the Workplace. London: Routledge},
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abstract = {People use stories to recount and reflect on their lives, and as a means to connect with other people. This chapter outlines some of the major characteristics of narrative, and it discusses the main functions of storytelling in the workplace. Drawing on two large corpora of workplace talk and migrant worker narratives, it explores some of the well-documented functions of workplace narratives: amusement, ingroup-outgroup distinctiveness, and ingroup cohesiveness. It also explores some lesser-known functions: establishing corporate values, and exposing and alienating the cultural ‘other’. Finally, the chapter considers narrative as a safe ‘venue’ for talking about traumatic workplaces experiences.},
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People use stories to recount and reflect on their lives, and as a means to connect with other people. This chapter outlines some of the major characteristics of narrative, and it discusses the main functions of storytelling in the workplace. Drawing on two large corpora of workplace talk and migrant worker narratives, it explores some of the well-documented functions of workplace narratives: amusement, ingroup-outgroup distinctiveness, and ingroup cohesiveness. It also explores some lesser-known functions: establishing corporate values, and exposing and alienating the cultural ‘other’. Finally, the chapter considers narrative as a safe ‘venue’ for talking about traumatic workplaces experiences.
Ladegaard, Hans
The destructiveness of distance: Unfaithful husbands and absent mothers in domestic migrant worker narratives Book Chapter
In: pp. 21-41, Peter Lang, 2018.
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abstract = {This chapter focuses on the experience of long-term separation by foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) from Indonesia and the Philippines. It reports on an ongoing project on the lives and experiences of FDHs in Hong Kong, and their experiences of reintegration when they return home. Drawing on a corpus of more than 400 narratives, the paper focuses on ‘the destructiveness of distance’ (Pratt, 2012). It draws on Toolan’s (2001) linguistic approach to narratives, in combination with a narrative therapy approach (White & Epston, 1990), and analyses narratives in which FDHs talk about the infidelity they know their husbands are guilty of, but which they choose not to know about. They also talk about the separation from their children, which they are painfully aware of: a scenario of ‘feeling love but being unable to give it.’ The paper discusses the long-term impact of migration on families in Indonesia and the Philippines, and it identifies the women’s identity as sacrificial mothers, wives and daughters, and their faith in God, as a means for them to survive the destructiveness of distance.},
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This chapter focuses on the experience of long-term separation by foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) from Indonesia and the Philippines. It reports on an ongoing project on the lives and experiences of FDHs in Hong Kong, and their experiences of reintegration when they return home. Drawing on a corpus of more than 400 narratives, the paper focuses on ‘the destructiveness of distance’ (Pratt, 2012). It draws on Toolan’s (2001) linguistic approach to narratives, in combination with a narrative therapy approach (White & Epston, 1990), and analyses narratives in which FDHs talk about the infidelity they know their husbands are guilty of, but which they choose not to know about. They also talk about the separation from their children, which they are painfully aware of: a scenario of ‘feeling love but being unable to give it.’ The paper discusses the long-term impact of migration on families in Indonesia and the Philippines, and it identifies the women’s identity as sacrificial mothers, wives and daughters, and their faith in God, as a means for them to survive the destructiveness of distance.
Ladegaard, Hans
Codeswitching and emotional alignment: Talking about abuse in domestic migrant-worker returnee narratives Journal Article
In: Language in Society, 47 (5), pp. 693-714, 2018.
@article{Ladegaard2018bb,
title = {Codeswitching and emotional alignment: Talking about abuse in domestic migrant-worker returnee narratives},
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abstract = {Early research on bilingualism and emotion suggests that bilingual speakers’ L1 may be preferred for emotional expression whereas L2 may be used for emotional detachment. The evidence comes primarily from surveys, interviews, and laboratory studies. Studies of bilingual codeswitching (CS) and emotion tend to focus on perception and recollection of experience rather than actual language data. This article uses data from domestic migrant-worker returnee narratives to explore the use of CS in storytelling. Domestic-worker returnees in Indonesia participated in sharing sessions in which they talked about the trauma they experienced while they worked overseas as domestic helpers. CS was widely used and, through a discourse analysis of selected excerpts, the article shows that CS is used for addressee specification and emotional alignment. The article concludes by considering how researchers may use the trauma narratives of repressed groups for social activism.},
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Early research on bilingualism and emotion suggests that bilingual speakers’ L1 may be preferred for emotional expression whereas L2 may be used for emotional detachment. The evidence comes primarily from surveys, interviews, and laboratory studies. Studies of bilingual codeswitching (CS) and emotion tend to focus on perception and recollection of experience rather than actual language data. This article uses data from domestic migrant-worker returnee narratives to explore the use of CS in storytelling. Domestic-worker returnees in Indonesia participated in sharing sessions in which they talked about the trauma they experienced while they worked overseas as domestic helpers. CS was widely used and, through a discourse analysis of selected excerpts, the article shows that CS is used for addressee specification and emotional alignment. The article concludes by considering how researchers may use the trauma narratives of repressed groups for social activism.
2017
Ladegaard, Hans; Jenks, Christopher J.
Language and Intercultural Communication in the Workplace. Critical Approaches to Theory and Practice Book
Routledge, 2017, ISBN: 978-1-138-20492-8.
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This book provides a greater understanding of workplace cultures, particularly the ways in which working in highly interconnected and multicultural societies shape language and intercultural communication. The chapters focus on critical approaches to theory and practice, in particular how practice is used to shape theory. The also question the validity and universality of existing models. Some of the predominant models in intercultural communication have been criticised for being Eurocentric or Anglocentric, and this volume proposes alternative frameworks for analysing intercultural communication in the workplace.
Ladegaard, Hans
We’re only here to help: Identity struggles in foreign domestic helper narratives Book Chapter
In: Chapter 23, pp. 427-444, John Benjamins, 2017.
@inbook{Ladegaard2017b,
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publisher = {John Benjamins},
chapter = {23},
abstract = {This chapter draws on a large corpus of life stories of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong. Narratives were recorded at a church shelter that provides temporary accommodation to domestic workers, and the analyses focus on the identity struggles the women are engaged in. They have to accept an enforced identity as maids, who cannot even claim the right to be respected as human beings, but they are also struggling to claim a positive identity as ‘helpers’ who are in Hong Kong to serve God and their families. The chapter argues that the women’s identity as Christian servants allows them to overcome their hardships. It also argues that scholars need to pay attention to how FDHs label themselves. It considers the women’s testimonies about themselves and it argues that marginalised groups should label themselves in ways that are meaningful to them.},
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This chapter draws on a large corpus of life stories of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong. Narratives were recorded at a church shelter that provides temporary accommodation to domestic workers, and the analyses focus on the identity struggles the women are engaged in. They have to accept an enforced identity as maids, who cannot even claim the right to be respected as human beings, but they are also struggling to claim a positive identity as ‘helpers’ who are in Hong Kong to serve God and their families. The chapter argues that the women’s identity as Christian servants allows them to overcome their hardships. It also argues that scholars need to pay attention to how FDHs label themselves. It considers the women’s testimonies about themselves and it argues that marginalised groups should label themselves in ways that are meaningful to them.
2016
Ladegaard, Hans
The discourse of powerlessness and repression: Life stories of domestic migrant workers in Hong Kong Book
Routledge, 2016, ISBN: 9781315636597.
@book{Ladegaard2016,
title = {The discourse of powerlessness and repression: Life stories of domestic migrant workers in Hong Kong},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.4324/9781315636597},
isbn = {9781315636597},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-10-26},
urldate = {2016-10-26},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {Drawing on a large corpus of narratives recorded at a church shelter for abused domestic helpers in Hong Kong, this monograph explores how the women discursively construct themselves in sharing sessions with other helpers. They see themselves as 'helpers' who have come to Hong Kong to help their families, to help the people in the city, and to serve God. A wide variety of competing identities are constructed in the narratives: submissive helper, sacrificial mother, daughter and wife, and powerless traumatised victim, but also resourceful indignant migrant women who, through sharing and peer support, become empowered to fight against abusive employers. This book provides a detailed discourse analysis of the women's narratives, but it also explores larger issues such as global migration, exploitation, language and power, abuse and the psychology of evil, intergroup communication, and peer support and empowerment.},
keywords = {},
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Drawing on a large corpus of narratives recorded at a church shelter for abused domestic helpers in Hong Kong, this monograph explores how the women discursively construct themselves in sharing sessions with other helpers. They see themselves as 'helpers' who have come to Hong Kong to help their families, to help the people in the city, and to serve God. A wide variety of competing identities are constructed in the narratives: submissive helper, sacrificial mother, daughter and wife, and powerless traumatised victim, but also resourceful indignant migrant women who, through sharing and peer support, become empowered to fight against abusive employers. This book provides a detailed discourse analysis of the women's narratives, but it also explores larger issues such as global migration, exploitation, language and power, abuse and the psychology of evil, intergroup communication, and peer support and empowerment.
Ladegaard, Hans
The disquieting tension of ‘the other’: international students’ experience of sojourn in Hong Kong Journal Article
In: Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 38 (3), pp. 268-282, 2016.
@article{Ladegaard2016b,
title = {The disquieting tension of ‘the other’: international students’ experience of sojourn in Hong Kong},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1080/01434632.2015.1134552},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-02-06},
urldate = {2016-02-06},
journal = {Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development},
volume = {38},
number = {3},
pages = {268-282},
abstract = {Recent research has shown that increasing the number of international students and staff in universities does not necessarily make the campus more ‘international’. Ladegaard and Cheng (201433. Ladegaard, H. J., and H. F. Cheng. 2014. “Constructing the Cultural ‘Other’: Prejudice and Intergroup Conflict in University Students’ Discourses about ‘The Other’.” Language & Intercultural Communication 14 (2): 156–175. doi: 10.1080/14708477.2013.849718View all references) found that local and non-local students live completely separate lives on campus and do not work together, let alone socialise, unless forced to do so by their teachers. This article argues that one of the major obstacles for successful integration between local and non-local students is negative outgroup stereotypes and prejudice. It reports on an ongoing study of international students’ experience of sojourn in Hong Kong. The article analyses examples from informal group discussions among non-local students, and the examples show that for some students, meeting ‘the other’ has been associated with disquieting tension more than anything. Despite their commitment to the intercultural endeavour, they feel their integration has been inhibited by their own or other students’ prejudice. The article suggests that intercultural dialogue, which addresses taboos and painful issues and seeks compromises, and the courage to criticise our own and other people's ethnocentric discourses, should be the way forward if local and non-local students are to integrate and work together in meaningful ways.},
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Recent research has shown that increasing the number of international students and staff in universities does not necessarily make the campus more ‘international’. Ladegaard and Cheng (201433. Ladegaard, H. J., and H. F. Cheng. 2014. “Constructing the Cultural ‘Other’: Prejudice and Intergroup Conflict in University Students’ Discourses about ‘The Other’.” Language & Intercultural Communication 14 (2): 156–175. doi: 10.1080/14708477.2013.849718View all references) found that local and non-local students live completely separate lives on campus and do not work together, let alone socialise, unless forced to do so by their teachers. This article argues that one of the major obstacles for successful integration between local and non-local students is negative outgroup stereotypes and prejudice. It reports on an ongoing study of international students’ experience of sojourn in Hong Kong. The article analyses examples from informal group discussions among non-local students, and the examples show that for some students, meeting ‘the other’ has been associated with disquieting tension more than anything. Despite their commitment to the intercultural endeavour, they feel their integration has been inhibited by their own or other students’ prejudice. The article suggests that intercultural dialogue, which addresses taboos and painful issues and seeks compromises, and the courage to criticise our own and other people's ethnocentric discourses, should be the way forward if local and non-local students are to integrate and work together in meaningful ways.
2015
Ladegaard, Hans; Mey, Jacob L.
Discourse, democracy and diplomacy: A pragmatic analysis of the Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong Journal Article
In: Word, 61 (4), pp. 319-334, 2015.
@article{Ladegaard2015,
title = {Discourse, democracy and diplomacy: A pragmatic analysis of the Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Jacob L. Mey},
doi = {10.1080/00437956.2015.1112949},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-10-02},
urldate = {2015-10-02},
journal = {Word},
volume = {61},
number = {4},
pages = {319-334},
abstract = {Wars over words have raged for centuries. In recent times, a pragmatic war about the meaning of words has played out in the debates in the media and other public fora in Hong Kong. Our article analyzes the discourse of democracy in Hong Kong by looking at contentious words and how they are being used by the opposing sides; we explain why it is impossible to have a meaningful debate about ‘democracy’ until both sides have reached consensus about what it is they are talking about. Language not only reflects, but also creates reality; when words mean different things to different people, the words both create and sustain different versions of ‘reality’; such competing versions are at the core of the debates about democracy and universal suffrage in Hong Kong. A pragmatics-based, intercultural approach to the discourse of democracy may offer some insights into how and why the opposing sides in the Hong Kong democracy debates keep communicating at cross-purposes. Here. the ideological and socio-cultural differences between Hong Kong and Mainland China, which are the root causes of the conflict, need to be acknowledged and discussed in order for the debate about democracy and political reform to move forward.},
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Wars over words have raged for centuries. In recent times, a pragmatic war about the meaning of words has played out in the debates in the media and other public fora in Hong Kong. Our article analyzes the discourse of democracy in Hong Kong by looking at contentious words and how they are being used by the opposing sides; we explain why it is impossible to have a meaningful debate about ‘democracy’ until both sides have reached consensus about what it is they are talking about. Language not only reflects, but also creates reality; when words mean different things to different people, the words both create and sustain different versions of ‘reality’; such competing versions are at the core of the debates about democracy and universal suffrage in Hong Kong. A pragmatics-based, intercultural approach to the discourse of democracy may offer some insights into how and why the opposing sides in the Hong Kong democracy debates keep communicating at cross-purposes. Here. the ideological and socio-cultural differences between Hong Kong and Mainland China, which are the root causes of the conflict, need to be acknowledged and discussed in order for the debate about democracy and political reform to move forward.
Ladegaard, Hans; Jenks, Christopher J
Language and intercultural communication in the workplace: critical approaches to theory and practice Journal Article
In: Language and Intercultural Communication, 15 (1), pp. 1-12, 2015.
@article{Ladegaard2015b,
title = {Language and intercultural communication in the workplace: critical approaches to theory and practice},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Christopher J Jenks},
doi = {10.1080/14708477.2014.985302},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-09-04},
urldate = {2015-09-04},
journal = {Language and Intercultural Communication},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
pages = {1-12},
abstract = {Hans J. Ladegaarda* and Christopher J. Jenksb aDepartment of English, Hong Kong Baptist University, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Waterloo Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong; bDepartment of English, University of South Dakota, Dakota Hall 231, 414 E. Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
In much contemporary theorising on culture and globalisation, it is argued that the emerging international network of sociopolitical systems has led to a weakening of the nation as a source of identity (cf. Blasco, 2004). Giddens (2002) points out that despite its sudden popularity, it is often not clear what different people mean by globalisation, although there seems to be a general consensus that it has something to do with the thesis that we now live in one world.},
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Hans J. Ladegaarda* and Christopher J. Jenksb aDepartment of English, Hong Kong Baptist University, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Waterloo Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong; bDepartment of English, University of South Dakota, Dakota Hall 231, 414 E. Clark Street, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
In much contemporary theorising on culture and globalisation, it is argued that the emerging international network of sociopolitical systems has led to a weakening of the nation as a source of identity (cf. Blasco, 2004). Giddens (2002) points out that despite its sudden popularity, it is often not clear what different people mean by globalisation, although there seems to be a general consensus that it has something to do with the thesis that we now live in one world.
In much contemporary theorising on culture and globalisation, it is argued that the emerging international network of sociopolitical systems has led to a weakening of the nation as a source of identity (cf. Blasco, 2004). Giddens (2002) points out that despite its sudden popularity, it is often not clear what different people mean by globalisation, although there seems to be a general consensus that it has something to do with the thesis that we now live in one world.
Ladegaard, Hans
Coping with trauma in domestic migrant worker narratives: Linguistic, emotional and psychological perspectives Journal Article
In: Journal of Sociolinguistics, 19 (2), 2015.
@article{Ladegaard2015bb,
title = {Coping with trauma in domestic migrant worker narratives: Linguistic, emotional and psychological perspectives},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1111/josl.12117},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-04-01},
urldate = {2015-04-01},
journal = {Journal of Sociolinguistics},
volume = {19},
number = {2},
abstract = {Trauma can be defined as an event that goes beyond ordinary modes of experience and linguistic representation. It represents a break not just with a particular form of representation but with the possibility of representation at all. Drawing on a large corpus of domestic migrant worker narratives, the article analyses trauma narratives in which migrant women share their experiences while working for abusive employers. The stories deal with unspeakable suffering and humiliation, and the article attempts to outline the narrative structures that characterise trauma storytelling: broken narratives with voids in the narrative flow. It also analyses the emotional component of trauma narratives focusing on crying, which is seen as an authentication of feeling and meaning. Finally, the article considers how the women make sense of their traumatic experiences, and how peer support becomes essential in the narrators' attempts to rewrite their life stories from victimhood to survival and beyond.},
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Trauma can be defined as an event that goes beyond ordinary modes of experience and linguistic representation. It represents a break not just with a particular form of representation but with the possibility of representation at all. Drawing on a large corpus of domestic migrant worker narratives, the article analyses trauma narratives in which migrant women share their experiences while working for abusive employers. The stories deal with unspeakable suffering and humiliation, and the article attempts to outline the narrative structures that characterise trauma storytelling: broken narratives with voids in the narrative flow. It also analyses the emotional component of trauma narratives focusing on crying, which is seen as an authentication of feeling and meaning. Finally, the article considers how the women make sense of their traumatic experiences, and how peer support becomes essential in the narrators' attempts to rewrite their life stories from victimhood to survival and beyond.
Ladegaard, Hans
In: pp. 111-134, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2015, ISBN: 978-1-349-69287-3.
@inbook{Ladegaard2015bb,
title = {Personal Experience and Cultural Awareness as Resources in Teaching Intercultural Communication: A Hong Kong Case Study},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1057/9781137475145_7},
isbn = {978-1-349-69287-3},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-01-01},
urldate = {2015-01-01},
pages = {111-134},
publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan, New York},
abstract = {The first line of Kipling’s famous poem has often been quoted in isolation as an example of the author’s pessimistic attitudes toward race and the Empire, but the essential point is actually in the final line: When people meet—face to face—race, nationality, class, and geography cease to exist as dividing lines between people. The refrain from Kipling’s poem is still relevant today. Research shows that when people have no first-hand experience with people from other ethnic or cultural groups, they tend to rely on stereotypical accounts they get from the media or from other people, and the result is often prejudice and cultural generalizations. But if they meet and have personal encounters with “the other,” the stereotypes they form tend to be more positive (see, for example, Kashima, Fiedler, and Freytag 2008; Ladegaard 2011c).},
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The first line of Kipling’s famous poem has often been quoted in isolation as an example of the author’s pessimistic attitudes toward race and the Empire, but the essential point is actually in the final line: When people meet—face to face—race, nationality, class, and geography cease to exist as dividing lines between people. The refrain from Kipling’s poem is still relevant today. Research shows that when people have no first-hand experience with people from other ethnic or cultural groups, they tend to rely on stereotypical accounts they get from the media or from other people, and the result is often prejudice and cultural generalizations. But if they meet and have personal encounters with “the other,” the stereotypes they form tend to be more positive (see, for example, Kashima, Fiedler, and Freytag 2008; Ladegaard 2011c).
2014
Ladegaard, Hans
Crying as Communication in Domestic Helper Narratives: Towards a Social Psychology of Crying in Discourse Journal Article
In: Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 33 (6), pp. 579-605, 2014.
@article{Ladegaard2014,
title = {Crying as Communication in Domestic Helper Narratives: Towards a Social Psychology of Crying in Discourse},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1177/0261927X14538823},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-11-10},
urldate = {2014-11-10},
journal = {Journal of Language and Social Psychology},
volume = {33},
number = {6},
pages = {579-605},
abstract = {Most research on adult crying is based on questionnaires or laboratory studies, and few studies have looked at crying in discourse. This article reports on a study of life stories of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong. The stories, which were recorded in a church shelter, are trauma narratives characterised by repeated crying. The article provides first, an overview of the themes that led the women to cry in the 89 crying events that were identified, and second, a discourse analysis of six selected excerpts. The analyses suggest that crying events should be seen as discursive accomplishments among group members. The article also provides evidence of a link between crying and catharsis, and it questions the common assumption that crying is a desirable form of emotional expression. Finally, the article discusses some possible functions of crying and proposes the first step towards a social psychological theory of crying in discourse.},
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Most research on adult crying is based on questionnaires or laboratory studies, and few studies have looked at crying in discourse. This article reports on a study of life stories of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong. The stories, which were recorded in a church shelter, are trauma narratives characterised by repeated crying. The article provides first, an overview of the themes that led the women to cry in the 89 crying events that were identified, and second, a discourse analysis of six selected excerpts. The analyses suggest that crying events should be seen as discursive accomplishments among group members. The article also provides evidence of a link between crying and catharsis, and it questions the common assumption that crying is a desirable form of emotional expression. Finally, the article discusses some possible functions of crying and proposes the first step towards a social psychological theory of crying in discourse.
Ladegaard, Hans; Cheng, Ho Fai
Constructing the cultural ‘other’: prejudice and intergroup conflict in university students' discourses about ‘the other’ Journal Article
In: Language and Intercultural Communication, 14 (2), pp. 156-175, 2014.
@article{Ladegaard2014b,
title = {Constructing the cultural ‘other’: prejudice and intergroup conflict in university students' discourses about ‘the other’},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Ho Fai Cheng},
doi = {10.1080/14708477.2013.849718},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-05-14},
urldate = {2014-05-14},
journal = {Language and Intercultural Communication},
volume = {14},
number = {2},
pages = {156-175},
abstract = {This article analyses how university students in Hong Kong talk about ‘self’ and ‘other’. Three groups of students, Hong Kong Chinese, Mainland Chinese, and Overseas Exchange students, were asked to characterise these three groups in a pre-discussion questionnaire, and subsequently discuss freely what they had written. Selected excerpts from these discussions are analysed, and the analyses show that there are significant differences between the written and the oral responses. The pre-discussion stereotypes appear to be predominantly positive, whereas the students jointly construct predominantly negative stereotypes about ‘the other’ during their discussions. Different discourse strategies are employed by the three groups to discredit ‘the other’ and, at the same time, enhance intergroup differentiation and a positive ingroup identity. The findings are discussed vis-à-vis predominantly social psychological theories, and the study highlights that the attempt to create more internationalised universities may be jeopardised if negative intergroup stereotypes prevail. The article suggests that universities should take a more proactive role in promoting anti-racist multicultural education to counter intergroup prejudice and potential conflict.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
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This article analyses how university students in Hong Kong talk about ‘self’ and ‘other’. Three groups of students, Hong Kong Chinese, Mainland Chinese, and Overseas Exchange students, were asked to characterise these three groups in a pre-discussion questionnaire, and subsequently discuss freely what they had written. Selected excerpts from these discussions are analysed, and the analyses show that there are significant differences between the written and the oral responses. The pre-discussion stereotypes appear to be predominantly positive, whereas the students jointly construct predominantly negative stereotypes about ‘the other’ during their discussions. Different discourse strategies are employed by the three groups to discredit ‘the other’ and, at the same time, enhance intergroup differentiation and a positive ingroup identity. The findings are discussed vis-à-vis predominantly social psychological theories, and the study highlights that the attempt to create more internationalised universities may be jeopardised if negative intergroup stereotypes prevail. The article suggests that universities should take a more proactive role in promoting anti-racist multicultural education to counter intergroup prejudice and potential conflict.
2013
Ladegaard, Hans
Laughing at Adversity: Laughter as Communication in Domestic Helper Narratives Journal Article
In: Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 32 (4), pp. 390-411, 2013.
@article{Ladegaard2013,
title = {Laughing at Adversity: Laughter as Communication in Domestic Helper Narratives},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1177/0261927X13489301},
year = {2013},
date = {2013-11-06},
urldate = {2013-11-06},
journal = {Journal of Language and Social Psychology},
volume = {32},
number = {4},
pages = {390-411},
abstract = {This article analyses excerpts from narratives told by foreign domestic helpers in a Hong Kong church shelter. The stories are trauma narratives about physical assault, sexual abuse, starvation, and other forms of exploitation, and the women also suffer the pains of being separated from their families. Therefore, it is to be expected that crying is a salient paralinguistic feature, but it is more surprising that laughter is equally salient. The article analyses selected excerpts from foreign domestic helper narratives focusing on the functions of laughter. Theories of laughter are reviewed and it is argued that existing theoretical frameworks do not adequately account for the examples identified in these narratives. Here, laughter has little to do with humour but is used to express “the seriousness of social life”. A model expressing the tragi-comic span of life experiences is proposed as the way forward in further in-depth studies of laughter in discourse.},
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This article analyses excerpts from narratives told by foreign domestic helpers in a Hong Kong church shelter. The stories are trauma narratives about physical assault, sexual abuse, starvation, and other forms of exploitation, and the women also suffer the pains of being separated from their families. Therefore, it is to be expected that crying is a salient paralinguistic feature, but it is more surprising that laughter is equally salient. The article analyses selected excerpts from foreign domestic helper narratives focusing on the functions of laughter. Theories of laughter are reviewed and it is argued that existing theoretical frameworks do not adequately account for the examples identified in these narratives. Here, laughter has little to do with humour but is used to express “the seriousness of social life”. A model expressing the tragi-comic span of life experiences is proposed as the way forward in further in-depth studies of laughter in discourse.
Ladegaard, Hans
Demonising the cultural Other: Legitimising dehumanisation of foreign domestic helpers in the Hong Kong press Journal Article
In: Discourse, Context & Media 2(3): DOI:, 2 (3), pp. 131–140, 2013.
@article{Ladegaard2013b,
title = {Demonising the cultural Other: Legitimising dehumanisation of foreign domestic helpers in the Hong Kong press},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1016/j.dcm.2013.06.002},
year = {2013},
date = {2013-09-01},
urldate = {2013-09-01},
journal = {Discourse, Context & Media 2(3): DOI:},
volume = {2},
number = {3},
pages = {131–140},
abstract = {Recent research has provided evidence of the widespread abuse and exploitation of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong. This article explores how domestic abuse of foreign labour may be legitimised through public discourses. It analyses examples from the press of court cases involving FDHs, and compares the media's version of events with the domestic worker's story as it was recorded at a church shelter for abused migrant women. The analyses show that the press engages in positive us-presentation and negative them-presentation. Employers’ crimes against FDHs are consistently mitigated and explained, whereas FDHs’ offences against their employers are characterised as evil actions committed by ‘aliens’ with a flawed character. The article argues that FDHs are dehumanised in the press which contributes to their moral exclusion. Thus, a culture of indifference has developed where public.},
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Recent research has provided evidence of the widespread abuse and exploitation of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong. This article explores how domestic abuse of foreign labour may be legitimised through public discourses. It analyses examples from the press of court cases involving FDHs, and compares the media's version of events with the domestic worker's story as it was recorded at a church shelter for abused migrant women. The analyses show that the press engages in positive us-presentation and negative them-presentation. Employers’ crimes against FDHs are consistently mitigated and explained, whereas FDHs’ offences against their employers are characterised as evil actions committed by ‘aliens’ with a flawed character. The article argues that FDHs are dehumanised in the press which contributes to their moral exclusion. Thus, a culture of indifference has developed where public.
Ladegaard, Hans
Beyond the reach of ethics and equity? Depersonalisation and dehumanisation in foreign domestic helper narratives Journal Article
In: Language and Intercultural Communication, 13 (1), pp. 44-59, 2013.
@article{Ladegaard2013bb,
title = {Beyond the reach of ethics and equity? Depersonalisation and dehumanisation in foreign domestic helper narratives},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1080/14708477.2012.748789},
year = {2013},
date = {2013-02-01},
urldate = {2013-02-01},
journal = {Language and Intercultural Communication},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
pages = {44-59},
abstract = {This paper analyses narratives told by foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in a Hong Kong church shelter. The narratives provide evidence that FDHs appear to be untouched by the ethics and equity of Hong Kong society. They are denied the rights that apply to other groups: the right to eat, rest and talk; they are humiliated and denigrated, and the analyses show that this treatment may affect their self-perception. The paper considers local stereotypes and ideological representations as a possible cause for legitimising the exploitation of FDHs, and it recommends that researchers become engaged in social activism in the attempt to help FDHs rewrite their narratives of repression.},
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This paper analyses narratives told by foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in a Hong Kong church shelter. The narratives provide evidence that FDHs appear to be untouched by the ethics and equity of Hong Kong society. They are denied the rights that apply to other groups: the right to eat, rest and talk; they are humiliated and denigrated, and the analyses show that this treatment may affect their self-perception. The paper considers local stereotypes and ideological representations as a possible cause for legitimising the exploitation of FDHs, and it recommends that researchers become engaged in social activism in the attempt to help FDHs rewrite their narratives of repression.
2012
Ladegaard, Hans
Edwards, John Book Chapter
In: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2012.
@inbook{Ladegaard2012,
title = {Edwards, John},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0357},
year = {2012},
date = {2012-11-01},
publisher = {Blackwell Publishing Ltd},
abstract = {John Robert Edwards (b. 1947 in England) was educated at the University of Western Ontario (BA in Psychology) and McGill University (MA and PhD in Psychology).},
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John Robert Edwards (b. 1947 in England) was educated at the University of Western Ontario (BA in Psychology) and McGill University (MA and PhD in Psychology).
Ladegaard, Hans
Edwards, John Book Chapter
In: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2012.
@inbook{Ladegaard2012b,
title = {Edwards, John},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
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abstract = {John Robert Edwards (b. 1947 in England) was educated at the University of Western Ontario (BA in Psychology) and McGill University (MA and PhD in Psychology).},
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John Robert Edwards (b. 1947 in England) was educated at the University of Western Ontario (BA in Psychology) and McGill University (MA and PhD in Psychology).
Ladegaard, Hans
Rudeness as a discursive strategy in leadership discourse: Culture, power and gender in a Hong Kong workplace Journal Article
In: Journal of Pragmatics, 44 (12), pp. 1661–1679, 2012.
@article{Ladegaard2012bb,
title = {Rudeness as a discursive strategy in leadership discourse: Culture, power and gender in a Hong Kong workplace},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1016/j.pragma.2012.07.003},
year = {2012},
date = {2012-09-01},
urldate = {2012-09-01},
journal = {Journal of Pragmatics},
volume = {44},
number = {12},
pages = {1661–1679},
abstract = {This article reports on an ongoing research project on leadership discourse and gender in Hong Kong workplaces. It analyses excerpts from a business meeting in a small factory outlet involving three male and three female staff. The two female leaders use jocular insults and other forms of verbal abuse repeatedly, and it is argued that the two leaders’ discursive strategies are best characterised as instrumental rudeness, the purpose of which is to attack their interlocutors’ face and thereby (re)activate aspects of their own power. Jocular insults may function as a means by which superiors maintain their position in the workplace, but also as a socially acceptable strategy by which subordinates challenge their leaders. In the present context, however, these strategies are used predominantly by the two leaders, and it is argued that a careful consideration of the socio-pragmatic norms of the micro- and the macro-context may explain why the subordinates accept these insults. The article suggests that huge power distance and hierarchical relationships may explain why these leaders’ demeaning discourses are not directly challenged. Finally, the article suggests that normatively masculine and feminine management styles may be culture specific, which reiterates the need for a careful consideration of socio-cultural values and norms.},
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tppubtype = {article}
}
This article reports on an ongoing research project on leadership discourse and gender in Hong Kong workplaces. It analyses excerpts from a business meeting in a small factory outlet involving three male and three female staff. The two female leaders use jocular insults and other forms of verbal abuse repeatedly, and it is argued that the two leaders’ discursive strategies are best characterised as instrumental rudeness, the purpose of which is to attack their interlocutors’ face and thereby (re)activate aspects of their own power. Jocular insults may function as a means by which superiors maintain their position in the workplace, but also as a socially acceptable strategy by which subordinates challenge their leaders. In the present context, however, these strategies are used predominantly by the two leaders, and it is argued that a careful consideration of the socio-pragmatic norms of the micro- and the macro-context may explain why the subordinates accept these insults. The article suggests that huge power distance and hierarchical relationships may explain why these leaders’ demeaning discourses are not directly challenged. Finally, the article suggests that normatively masculine and feminine management styles may be culture specific, which reiterates the need for a careful consideration of socio-cultural values and norms.
Ladegaard, Hans
The discourse of powerlessness and repression: Identity construction in domestic helper narratives Journal Article
In: Journal of Sociolinguistics, 16 (4), 2012.
@article{Ladegaard2012bb,
title = {The discourse of powerlessness and repression: Identity construction in domestic helper narratives},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1111/j.1467-9841.2012.00541.x },
year = {2012},
date = {2012-09-01},
urldate = {2012-09-01},
journal = {Journal of Sociolinguistics},
volume = {16},
number = {4},
abstract = {This article analyses domestic helper narratives focusing on identity construction in diaspora. It reports on an ongoing research project in a church shelter in Hong Kong where foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) seek help when they have been abused. Many of the stories told by FDHs are trauma narratives about physical assault, starvation, underpayment, and exploitation, and the article explores how narratives may be used as a means for identity construction, but also as a site for empowering FDHs to re‐author their stories and become agents in their own lives. The analyses show how linguistic resources are used to index different identities. They also show that FDHs have to accept forced identities and fight for their right to re‐author their own life stories. Finally, the article provides examples of private and public discourses about FDHs in Hong Kong and suggests that ideologies of moral exclusion},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This article analyses domestic helper narratives focusing on identity construction in diaspora. It reports on an ongoing research project in a church shelter in Hong Kong where foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) seek help when they have been abused. Many of the stories told by FDHs are trauma narratives about physical assault, starvation, underpayment, and exploitation, and the article explores how narratives may be used as a means for identity construction, but also as a site for empowering FDHs to re‐author their stories and become agents in their own lives. The analyses show how linguistic resources are used to index different identities. They also show that FDHs have to accept forced identities and fight for their right to re‐author their own life stories. Finally, the article provides examples of private and public discourses about FDHs in Hong Kong and suggests that ideologies of moral exclusion
Ladegaard, Hans
In: Journal of Multicultural Discourses, 7 (1), pp. 59-79, 2012.
@article{Ladegaard2012bb,
title = {Discourses of identity: Outgroup stereotypes and strategies of discursive boundary-making in Chinese students’ online discussions about “the other”},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1080/17447143.2011.560670},
year = {2012},
date = {2012-03-01},
urldate = {2012-03-01},
journal = {Journal of Multicultural Discourses},
volume = {7},
number = {1},
pages = {59-79},
abstract = {In the public discourse about Mainland China (MLC) in Hong Kong (HK), China is usually presented as ingroup, and the “one-country-one-people” ideology is widely supported. In the private discourse, however, MLC is usually presented as outgroup. This article analyzes spontaneous online discussions from a chat forum where local and non-local Chinese students in an Intercultural Communication class discuss self- and other-categorizations in HK and MLC. The analyses demonstrate that a wide range of mitigation strategies is used, suggesting that students constantly engage in face-threatening activities. The data also show that HK students’ stereotypes of MLC are remarkably negative, and that MLC students defend themselves by constructing counter-narratives about the rejected mother and her ungrateful child. The discussion argues that social identity is a flexible concept which constantly changes depending on context and situation, and it suggests that the students’ narratives should be seen as examples of different types of discourse: a Western and an Eastern discourse with fundamentally different norms for self- and other-construction. Finally, the paper argues that only by addressing potentially painful issues, and verbalizing taboos in the strained relationship between HK and MLC, is it possible, over time, to reconcile the opposing discourses about “the other”.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
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In the public discourse about Mainland China (MLC) in Hong Kong (HK), China is usually presented as ingroup, and the “one-country-one-people” ideology is widely supported. In the private discourse, however, MLC is usually presented as outgroup. This article analyzes spontaneous online discussions from a chat forum where local and non-local Chinese students in an Intercultural Communication class discuss self- and other-categorizations in HK and MLC. The analyses demonstrate that a wide range of mitigation strategies is used, suggesting that students constantly engage in face-threatening activities. The data also show that HK students’ stereotypes of MLC are remarkably negative, and that MLC students defend themselves by constructing counter-narratives about the rejected mother and her ungrateful child. The discussion argues that social identity is a flexible concept which constantly changes depending on context and situation, and it suggests that the students’ narratives should be seen as examples of different types of discourse: a Western and an Eastern discourse with fundamentally different norms for self- and other-construction. Finally, the paper argues that only by addressing potentially painful issues, and verbalizing taboos in the strained relationship between HK and MLC, is it possible, over time, to reconcile the opposing discourses about “the other”.
2011
Ladegaard, Hans
Stereotypes in the making: Prejudice and cultural generalizations in Hong Kong students' discourse Journal Article
In: Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 21 (1), pp. 133-158, 2011.
@article{Ladegaard2011,
title = {Stereotypes in the making: Prejudice and cultural generalizations in Hong Kong students' discourse},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1075/japc.21.1.10lad},
year = {2011},
date = {2011-03-23},
urldate = {2011-03-23},
journal = {Journal of Asian Pacific Communication},
volume = {21},
number = {1},
pages = {133-158},
abstract = {This article analyzes how a group of Hong Kong students talk about people in other countries in an informal group discussion. The focus is on the discursive construction of outgroup stereotypes, and the analyses show that the attitudes discussed in the group are highly variable, even contradictory — across as well as within individual group members. Discursive Psychology is used as the theoretically informed analytic approach for the analysis, and Social Identity Theory (Tajfel) and Self-Categorization Theory (Turner) are proposed as the overall theoretical frameworks which seem to encompass the different themes uncovered in the analyses. The article argues that personal experience, rhetorical ends, and group dynamics are salient factors in terms of explaining the construction and nature of the stereotypes. Furthermore, it is argued that intergroup differentiation is important in accounting for the process of stereotype-construction, and that cognitive dissonance, as well as accusations of prejudiced identities, appear to have little noticeable effect on individual group members or intra-group harmony. Finally, the article argues that this group discussion could be seen as an example of predominant discourses and ideological positions about Western and Asian `others' which exist in contemporary Hong Kong society.},
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pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This article analyzes how a group of Hong Kong students talk about people in other countries in an informal group discussion. The focus is on the discursive construction of outgroup stereotypes, and the analyses show that the attitudes discussed in the group are highly variable, even contradictory — across as well as within individual group members. Discursive Psychology is used as the theoretically informed analytic approach for the analysis, and Social Identity Theory (Tajfel) and Self-Categorization Theory (Turner) are proposed as the overall theoretical frameworks which seem to encompass the different themes uncovered in the analyses. The article argues that personal experience, rhetorical ends, and group dynamics are salient factors in terms of explaining the construction and nature of the stereotypes. Furthermore, it is argued that intergroup differentiation is important in accounting for the process of stereotype-construction, and that cognitive dissonance, as well as accusations of prejudiced identities, appear to have little noticeable effect on individual group members or intra-group harmony. Finally, the article argues that this group discussion could be seen as an example of predominant discourses and ideological positions about Western and Asian `others' which exist in contemporary Hong Kong society.
Ladegaard, Hans
Stereotypes and the discursive accomplishment of intergroup differentiation: Talking about ‘the other’ in a global business organization Journal Article
In: Pragmatics, 21 (1), pp. 85-109, 2011.
@article{Ladegaard2011b,
title = {Stereotypes and the discursive accomplishment of intergroup differentiation: Talking about ‘the other’ in a global business organization},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1075/prag.21.1.05lad},
year = {2011},
date = {2011-03-01},
urldate = {2011-03-01},
journal = {Pragmatics},
volume = {21},
number = {1},
pages = {85-109},
abstract = {This article analyzes how employees in a global business organization talk about their colleagues in other countries. Employees were asked to discuss their work practices in focus group settings, and give examples of how they experience ‘the other’. Using Discursive Psychology and Politeness Theory as the analytic approaches, the article analyzes pieces of discourse to disclose social psychological phenomena such as group identity, intergroup differentiation, and stereotypes. The analyses show that talking about ‘the other’ is potentially face-threatening, and mitigating discourse features are used repeatedly to soften the criticism. We also see how uncovering stereotypes is a mutual accomplishment in the group, and how group members gradually move from relatively innocent to blatantly negative outgroup stereotypes. The analyses also show that participants engage in meta-reflections on the nature of stereotypes, which may serve as another mitigating device, and that talk about ‘the other’ is used to create intergroup differentiation. Finally, the article discusses the implications of these findings for cross-cultural communication and work practices in organizations.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This article analyzes how employees in a global business organization talk about their colleagues in other countries. Employees were asked to discuss their work practices in focus group settings, and give examples of how they experience ‘the other’. Using Discursive Psychology and Politeness Theory as the analytic approaches, the article analyzes pieces of discourse to disclose social psychological phenomena such as group identity, intergroup differentiation, and stereotypes. The analyses show that talking about ‘the other’ is potentially face-threatening, and mitigating discourse features are used repeatedly to soften the criticism. We also see how uncovering stereotypes is a mutual accomplishment in the group, and how group members gradually move from relatively innocent to blatantly negative outgroup stereotypes. The analyses also show that participants engage in meta-reflections on the nature of stereotypes, which may serve as another mitigating device, and that talk about ‘the other’ is used to create intergroup differentiation. Finally, the article discusses the implications of these findings for cross-cultural communication and work practices in organizations.
Ladegaard, Hans
‘Doing power’ at work: Responding to male and female management styles in a global business corporation Journal Article
In: Journal of Pragmatics, 43 (1), pp. 4-19, 2011.
@article{Ladegaard2011bb,
title = {‘Doing power’ at work: Responding to male and female management styles in a global business corporation},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1016/j.pragma.2010.09.006},
year = {2011},
date = {2011-01-31},
urldate = {2011-01-31},
journal = {Journal of Pragmatics},
volume = {43},
number = {1},
pages = {4-19},
abstract = {In the literature on professional management, it is argued that female leaders prefer a more indirect, people-oriented, democratic management style, whereas male leaders are more likely to favor a direct, task-oriented and authoritarian approach. This paper reports on an empirical study of communication in business organizations, and the focus is on the actual sociolinguistic behaviour of male and female leaders performing similar tasks. Executive managers of both sexes in a large Danish corporation were asked to record themselves during a typical day at work while performing a range of tasks, such as giving directives to their staff and chairing meetings. The analyses show that both male and female leaders tend to prefer an indirect, normatively feminine management style. They also show that male leaders are more likely to use a wide verbal repertoire style drawing on elements in their speech that are both normatively male and normatively female. However, the most significant difference is how male and female leaders’ management styles are perceived and responded to by male and female employees. While the authority of male leaders is never questioned, several examples in the data show that female leaders are often challenged, and their authority questioned, by their male colleagues.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In the literature on professional management, it is argued that female leaders prefer a more indirect, people-oriented, democratic management style, whereas male leaders are more likely to favor a direct, task-oriented and authoritarian approach. This paper reports on an empirical study of communication in business organizations, and the focus is on the actual sociolinguistic behaviour of male and female leaders performing similar tasks. Executive managers of both sexes in a large Danish corporation were asked to record themselves during a typical day at work while performing a range of tasks, such as giving directives to their staff and chairing meetings. The analyses show that both male and female leaders tend to prefer an indirect, normatively feminine management style. They also show that male leaders are more likely to use a wide verbal repertoire style drawing on elements in their speech that are both normatively male and normatively female. However, the most significant difference is how male and female leaders’ management styles are perceived and responded to by male and female employees. While the authority of male leaders is never questioned, several examples in the data show that female leaders are often challenged, and their authority questioned, by their male colleagues.
2010
Ladegaard, Hans
Popular Perceptions of Standard Language: Attitudes to 'Regional Standards' in Denmark Journal Article
In: Language Awareness June, 1 (1), pp. 25-40, 2010.
@article{Ladegaard2010,
title = {Popular Perceptions of Standard Language: Attitudes to 'Regional Standards' in Denmark},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1080/09658410108667023},
year = {2010},
date = {2010-03-29},
urldate = {2010-03-29},
journal = {Language Awareness June},
volume = {1},
number = {1},
pages = {25-40},
abstract = {This paper is concerned with popular perceptions of standard language in Denmark. It presents the results from an empirical study of folk linguistic awareness in which subjects listened to five different versions of (regional) Standard Danish (SD) and filled in a questionnaire. The results show that the subjects' perception of SD correlates with their own regional background, and that prosodic features appear to be particularly important for the identification of varieties of speech. The study further shows that the absence of regional affiliation, as well as a clear and precise articulation, are important criteria in the subjects' attempts to define SD. Finally, it is argued that folk linguistic awareness should be incorporated as a valuable resource in the linguistic description and classification of varieties of speech.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This paper is concerned with popular perceptions of standard language in Denmark. It presents the results from an empirical study of folk linguistic awareness in which subjects listened to five different versions of (regional) Standard Danish (SD) and filled in a questionnaire. The results show that the subjects' perception of SD correlates with their own regional background, and that prosodic features appear to be particularly important for the identification of varieties of speech. The study further shows that the absence of regional affiliation, as well as a clear and precise articulation, are important criteria in the subjects' attempts to define SD. Finally, it is argued that folk linguistic awareness should be incorporated as a valuable resource in the linguistic description and classification of varieties of speech.
2009
Ladegaard, Hans
Politeness, Power and Control: The Use of Humour in Cross-cultural Telecommunications Journal Article
In: Professional communication: Collaboration between academics and practitioners, pp. 191 - 209, 2009, ISBN: 9789622099654.
@article{Ladegaard2009b,
title = {Politeness, Power and Control: The Use of Humour in Cross-cultural Telecommunications},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.5790/hongkong/9789622099654.003.0011},
isbn = {9789622099654},
year = {2009},
date = {2009-04-01},
urldate = {2009-04-01},
journal = {Professional communication: Collaboration between academics and practitioners},
pages = {191 - 209},
abstract = {Humour serves a variety of functions in discourse. The obvious function is sheer entertainment: people incorporate in their discourse humorous elements - such as jokes, or puns, riddles or funny stories -in order to amuse and entertain. Research on same-sex talk, for example, has found that young male speakers often use 'competitive humour' (current speaker has to outdo previous speaker in telling jokes or narratives which are perceived as funnier), the function of which is to entertain and compete for the upper hand in the group (see Holmes 2006; Ladegaard, forthcoming a). Another obvious function of humour is solidarity; humour is used in a group to maintain a feeling of solidarity among ingroup members and to mark the group off from possible outgroups. This is one of the reasons why humour is so context-bound. Humorous remarks, which are considered hilarious and lead to amusement and laughter in a group, may appear obscure - And not funny at all - To outsiders, because they play on social routines and cultural norms and conventions which are unique for a group. Linstead (1988) argues that the use of humour is complex and paradoxical and reflects many of the difficulties we experience in other areas of social life. It can be seen, for example, as 'a device utilised by individuals for coping with uncertainty, exploring ambiguous situations, releasing tension or distancing unpleasantness' (123). He further argues that, through the many functions it performs, and through the symbolic alignments it makes possible, humour is an intrinsic part of organizational life. In one of the early studies of the use of humour in the workplace, Turner (1973, 43) identified uses of the 'joking mode' in the industrial subcultures he studied as a way to 'test the atmosphere, to disarm accusations of failure or stupidity, and to deliver unpalatable or potentially unpalatable messages with a softened impact' (cited in Linstead 1988, 125). And in a more recent study of the use and functions of humour in the workplace Holmes (2000, 159-60) argues that humour can be an important management strategy. It can be used as 'a way of attenuating or reinforcing power relationships. Humour can be used to reduce inequalities between those of different professional status, alternatively it can be used to emphasize power imbalances, or even to license challenges to status hierarchies.' Research on the use and importance of humour in the workplace has been burgeoning in recent years, and there is ample evidence to show that humour in workplace settings is truly multifunctional. Much of the research demonstrates - from a sociological and/or psychological perspective - The general benefits of using humour in the workplace; it shows that humour, through a variety of functions, serves as a lubricant which makes work processes, intercollegial negotiations, and even production run more smoothly. Numerous studies have demonstrated that humour has a positive effect on maintaining a good relationship among colleagues, i.e. as a way of 'doing collegiality' (see, for example, Brown and Keegan 1999; Holmes 2000, 2006). Other studies have established a relationship between humour and increased productivity (see, for example, Caudron 1992). Humour has also been seen as an essential tool for effective leadership (see, for example, Cooper 2002; Holmes 2007). Other studies have shown that humour has an effect on job satisfaction (e.g. Decker 1987; Susa 2002), and it has been seen as an effective means of avoiding or resolving conflicts among employees (see, for example, Fry 1992; Dzodin 1998; Smith et al. 2000). It is remarkable, however - At least from a sociolinguistic perspective - That relatively little research on the use and functions of humour in the workplace is based on recordings of authentic interactions in professional contexts. Only recently have we seen researchers turn to recordings and systematic analyses of workplace interactions (see, for example, Holmes 2000, 2006, 2007; Vuorela 2005; Rogersen-Revell 2007), whereas an overwhelming amount of humourresearch is based on self-reported data such as questionnaires and interviews (e.g. Cooper 2002; Susa 2002; Miczo and Welter 2006 ), or analyses of simulated situations such as role-plays (e.g. Dzodin 1998; see also Fant 1992 for a discussion of the use of simulated situations for research purposes). However interesting these studies may be, they rely on employees' (or students') beliefs about humour, and how they think they and other people use it. Therefore, we need to direct more attention to analyses of humour in authentic, real-life situations and contexts, including cross-cultural contexts. This chapter offers an analysis of the use and functions of humour in crosscultural telecommunications. The data for the analysis consists of an audiorecording of a teleconference between employees in the headquarters of a global business corporation in Denmark and their colleagues in the company's subsidiary in the UK. The employees have a joint project, run by the company's HQ in Denmark, and the purpose of the telephone conference is to discuss the status and progress of the project, focusing on how the project findings can be implemented on the British market. Strategies in relation to sales, logistics, finance, and change management are being discussed during the meeting. Humour is used rather frequently, and the purpose of the analysis is to identify the various functions of humour in this cross-cultural context. First, the chapter provides a brief review of the literature, focusing on the use of humour in cross-cultural contexts. Second, we present and discuss some of the excerpts from the telephone conference where humour plays a significant role in the employees' negotiations. Finally, we discuss how humour can be used constructively in cross-cultural business communication. © 2009 by Hong Kong University Press, HKU. All rights reserved.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Humour serves a variety of functions in discourse. The obvious function is sheer entertainment: people incorporate in their discourse humorous elements - such as jokes, or puns, riddles or funny stories -in order to amuse and entertain. Research on same-sex talk, for example, has found that young male speakers often use 'competitive humour' (current speaker has to outdo previous speaker in telling jokes or narratives which are perceived as funnier), the function of which is to entertain and compete for the upper hand in the group (see Holmes 2006; Ladegaard, forthcoming a). Another obvious function of humour is solidarity; humour is used in a group to maintain a feeling of solidarity among ingroup members and to mark the group off from possible outgroups. This is one of the reasons why humour is so context-bound. Humorous remarks, which are considered hilarious and lead to amusement and laughter in a group, may appear obscure - And not funny at all - To outsiders, because they play on social routines and cultural norms and conventions which are unique for a group. Linstead (1988) argues that the use of humour is complex and paradoxical and reflects many of the difficulties we experience in other areas of social life. It can be seen, for example, as 'a device utilised by individuals for coping with uncertainty, exploring ambiguous situations, releasing tension or distancing unpleasantness' (123). He further argues that, through the many functions it performs, and through the symbolic alignments it makes possible, humour is an intrinsic part of organizational life. In one of the early studies of the use of humour in the workplace, Turner (1973, 43) identified uses of the 'joking mode' in the industrial subcultures he studied as a way to 'test the atmosphere, to disarm accusations of failure or stupidity, and to deliver unpalatable or potentially unpalatable messages with a softened impact' (cited in Linstead 1988, 125). And in a more recent study of the use and functions of humour in the workplace Holmes (2000, 159-60) argues that humour can be an important management strategy. It can be used as 'a way of attenuating or reinforcing power relationships. Humour can be used to reduce inequalities between those of different professional status, alternatively it can be used to emphasize power imbalances, or even to license challenges to status hierarchies.' Research on the use and importance of humour in the workplace has been burgeoning in recent years, and there is ample evidence to show that humour in workplace settings is truly multifunctional. Much of the research demonstrates - from a sociological and/or psychological perspective - The general benefits of using humour in the workplace; it shows that humour, through a variety of functions, serves as a lubricant which makes work processes, intercollegial negotiations, and even production run more smoothly. Numerous studies have demonstrated that humour has a positive effect on maintaining a good relationship among colleagues, i.e. as a way of 'doing collegiality' (see, for example, Brown and Keegan 1999; Holmes 2000, 2006). Other studies have established a relationship between humour and increased productivity (see, for example, Caudron 1992). Humour has also been seen as an essential tool for effective leadership (see, for example, Cooper 2002; Holmes 2007). Other studies have shown that humour has an effect on job satisfaction (e.g. Decker 1987; Susa 2002), and it has been seen as an effective means of avoiding or resolving conflicts among employees (see, for example, Fry 1992; Dzodin 1998; Smith et al. 2000). It is remarkable, however - At least from a sociolinguistic perspective - That relatively little research on the use and functions of humour in the workplace is based on recordings of authentic interactions in professional contexts. Only recently have we seen researchers turn to recordings and systematic analyses of workplace interactions (see, for example, Holmes 2000, 2006, 2007; Vuorela 2005; Rogersen-Revell 2007), whereas an overwhelming amount of humourresearch is based on self-reported data such as questionnaires and interviews (e.g. Cooper 2002; Susa 2002; Miczo and Welter 2006 ), or analyses of simulated situations such as role-plays (e.g. Dzodin 1998; see also Fant 1992 for a discussion of the use of simulated situations for research purposes). However interesting these studies may be, they rely on employees' (or students') beliefs about humour, and how they think they and other people use it. Therefore, we need to direct more attention to analyses of humour in authentic, real-life situations and contexts, including cross-cultural contexts. This chapter offers an analysis of the use and functions of humour in crosscultural telecommunications. The data for the analysis consists of an audiorecording of a teleconference between employees in the headquarters of a global business corporation in Denmark and their colleagues in the company's subsidiary in the UK. The employees have a joint project, run by the company's HQ in Denmark, and the purpose of the telephone conference is to discuss the status and progress of the project, focusing on how the project findings can be implemented on the British market. Strategies in relation to sales, logistics, finance, and change management are being discussed during the meeting. Humour is used rather frequently, and the purpose of the analysis is to identify the various functions of humour in this cross-cultural context. First, the chapter provides a brief review of the literature, focusing on the use of humour in cross-cultural contexts. Second, we present and discuss some of the excerpts from the telephone conference where humour plays a significant role in the employees' negotiations. Finally, we discuss how humour can be used constructively in cross-cultural business communication. © 2009 by Hong Kong University Press, HKU. All rights reserved.
Ladegaard, Hans
Pragmatic cooperation revisited: Resistance and non-cooperation as a discursive strategy in asymmetrical discourses Journal Article
In: Journal of Pragmatics, 41 (4), pp. 649-666, 2009.
@article{Ladegaard2009,
title = {Pragmatic cooperation revisited: Resistance and non-cooperation as a discursive strategy in asymmetrical discourses},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1016/j.pragma.2008.09.021},
year = {2009},
date = {2009-04-01},
urldate = {2009-04-01},
journal = {Journal of Pragmatics},
volume = {41},
number = {4},
pages = {649-666},
abstract = {It is widely assumed in the pragmatics literature that human communication is rational and logical. It is commonly described as a cooperative endeavour where speakers are oriented towards a common purpose or goal, which is to make the interaction succeed, even though this may sometimes appear not to be the case. This article offers a critical discussion of Gricean cooperation. It analyses examples of student–teacher dialogues which show that non-cooperation and non-accommodation may be employed as the preferred discourse strategy, and that the aim of communication may be to miscommunicate rather than to communicate successfully. It is suggested that ‘meaning’ in language only makes sense in the light of the social and psychological conditions under which language is produced, and that the notion of cooperation should be analyzed in terms of what people want to obtain by their communication. Communication accommodation theory and the notion of resistance are proposed as more appropriate explanatory frameworks to achieve this end.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
It is widely assumed in the pragmatics literature that human communication is rational and logical. It is commonly described as a cooperative endeavour where speakers are oriented towards a common purpose or goal, which is to make the interaction succeed, even though this may sometimes appear not to be the case. This article offers a critical discussion of Gricean cooperation. It analyses examples of student–teacher dialogues which show that non-cooperation and non-accommodation may be employed as the preferred discourse strategy, and that the aim of communication may be to miscommunicate rather than to communicate successfully. It is suggested that ‘meaning’ in language only makes sense in the light of the social and psychological conditions under which language is produced, and that the notion of cooperation should be analyzed in terms of what people want to obtain by their communication. Communication accommodation theory and the notion of resistance are proposed as more appropriate explanatory frameworks to achieve this end.
2008
Ladegaard, Hans; Wang, Limei
Language Attitudes and Gender in China: Perceptions and Reported Use of Putonghua and Cantonese in the Southern Province of Guangdong Journal Article
In: Language Awareness, 17 (1), pp. 57-77, 2008.
@article{Ladegaard2008,
title = {Language Attitudes and Gender in China: Perceptions and Reported Use of Putonghua and Cantonese in the Southern Province of Guangdong},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Limei Wang},
doi = {10.2167/la425.0},
year = {2008},
date = {2008-01-01},
urldate = {2008-01-01},
journal = {Language Awareness},
volume = {17},
number = {1},
pages = {57-77},
abstract = {This paper is concerned with young people's perceptions and reported use of the two language varieties that co-exist in the urban centre of Guangzhou in southern China, Putonghua (P) and Cantonese (C). P is a typical H-variety, promoted by the government and used as a lingua franca throughout China; C is the local L-variety but it also has some prestige and is used in all domains. The focus of our questionnaire study was twofold: to analyse possible gender differences in perceptions and reported use, and to compare results from P-speaking newcomers, who have moved to Guangzhou from other parts of China, with responses from local C-speaking adolescents. Our results suggest that Guangzhou is a reasonably stable diglossia where P and C serve different functions, for newcomers as well as locals, and therefore both varieties appear to be indispensable. However, there are also indications that P promotion is beginning to have an effect in Guangzhou; our female participants seem to be leading on in a gradual change towards increased use of P. Thus our results support the trend reported in numerous sociolinguistic studies of a female preference for the prestige standard variety of a language.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This paper is concerned with young people's perceptions and reported use of the two language varieties that co-exist in the urban centre of Guangzhou in southern China, Putonghua (P) and Cantonese (C). P is a typical H-variety, promoted by the government and used as a lingua franca throughout China; C is the local L-variety but it also has some prestige and is used in all domains. The focus of our questionnaire study was twofold: to analyse possible gender differences in perceptions and reported use, and to compare results from P-speaking newcomers, who have moved to Guangzhou from other parts of China, with responses from local C-speaking adolescents. Our results suggest that Guangzhou is a reasonably stable diglossia where P and C serve different functions, for newcomers as well as locals, and therefore both varieties appear to be indispensable. However, there are also indications that P promotion is beginning to have an effect in Guangzhou; our female participants seem to be leading on in a gradual change towards increased use of P. Thus our results support the trend reported in numerous sociolinguistic studies of a female preference for the prestige standard variety of a language.
2007
Ladegaard, Hans
Global Culture—Myth or Reality? Perceptions of “National Cultures” in a Global Corporation Journal Article
In: Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 36 (2), pp. 139-163, 2007.
@article{Ladegaard2007,
title = {Global Culture—Myth or Reality? Perceptions of “National Cultures” in a Global Corporation},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1080/17475750701478729},
year = {2007},
date = {2007-07-01},
urldate = {2007-07-01},
journal = {Journal of Intercultural Communication Research},
volume = {36},
number = {2},
pages = {139-163},
abstract = {The literature argues that in global business communication the concept of “national culture(s)” is becoming obsolete because globalization leads to cultural convergence. This article argues that “national cultures” are not obsolete in global organizations. Two focus group interviews were conducted in a global corporation using folk perceptions as a framework. Employees were asked to discuss their work practices and agreed that uniform standards could not be used across cultures. The article concludes that, despite globalization, we do not see evidence of cultural assimilation in global employees’ work practices, but rather that stereotypes of national cultures are used to provide orientation.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The literature argues that in global business communication the concept of “national culture(s)” is becoming obsolete because globalization leads to cultural convergence. This article argues that “national cultures” are not obsolete in global organizations. Two focus group interviews were conducted in a global corporation using folk perceptions as a framework. Employees were asked to discuss their work practices and agreed that uniform standards could not be used across cultures. The article concludes that, despite globalization, we do not see evidence of cultural assimilation in global employees’ work practices, but rather that stereotypes of national cultures are used to provide orientation.
Ladegaard, Hans
Boys, girls, language and identity: Language attitudes and linguistic behaviour in a rural community in Denmark Journal Article
In: International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 8 (1), pp. 3 - 25, 2007.
@article{Ladegaard2007b,
title = {Boys, girls, language and identity: Language attitudes and linguistic behaviour in a rural community in Denmark},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1111/j.1473-4192.1998.tb00119.x},
year = {2007},
date = {2007-04-03},
urldate = {2007-04-03},
journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics},
volume = {8},
number = {1},
pages = {3 - 25},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2006
Ladegaard, Hans; Sachdev, Itesh
‘I Like the Americans… But I Certainly Don't Aim for an American Accent’: Language Attitudes, Vitality and Foreign Language Learning in Denmark Journal Article
In: Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 27 (2), pp. 91-108, 2006.
@article{Ladegaard2006,
title = {‘I Like the Americans… But I Certainly Don't Aim for an American Accent’: Language Attitudes, Vitality and Foreign Language Learning in Denmark},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Itesh Sachdev},
doi = {10.1080/01434630608668542},
year = {2006},
date = {2006-03-15},
urldate = {2006-03-15},
journal = {Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development},
volume = {27},
number = {2},
pages = {91-108},
abstract = {The power and status of America in the world today are undeniable. This paper presents some empirical data about the attitudes and perceptions Danish learners of EFL have about British and American English. Ninety-six EFL learners participated in a verbal-guise experiment that involved rating different accents of English: American, Australian, Received Pronunciation (RP), Scottish and Cockney. Dependent measures on dimensions of status, solidarity and attractiveness of the language were obtained together with measures assessing the perceived attractiveness of American and British culture. Additionally, behavioural measures about specific features of American and British English in learners' productions were also obtained. The results show that even though the vitality of American culture is acknowledged, the participants still demonstrate a preference for RP on important dimensions, and have no desire to adopt an American accent. The results are discussed with reference to vitality theory and the stereotypes Danish learners have about people from Britain and America.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The power and status of America in the world today are undeniable. This paper presents some empirical data about the attitudes and perceptions Danish learners of EFL have about British and American English. Ninety-six EFL learners participated in a verbal-guise experiment that involved rating different accents of English: American, Australian, Received Pronunciation (RP), Scottish and Cockney. Dependent measures on dimensions of status, solidarity and attractiveness of the language were obtained together with measures assessing the perceived attractiveness of American and British culture. Additionally, behavioural measures about specific features of American and British English in learners' productions were also obtained. The results show that even though the vitality of American culture is acknowledged, the participants still demonstrate a preference for RP on important dimensions, and have no desire to adopt an American accent. The results are discussed with reference to vitality theory and the stereotypes Danish learners have about people from Britain and America.
2004
Ladegaard, Hans
Politeness in young children's speech: Context, peer group influence and pragmatic competence Journal Article
In: Journal of Pragmatics, 36 (11), pp. 2003-2022, 2004.
@article{Ladegaard2004,
title = {Politeness in young children's speech: Context, peer group influence and pragmatic competence},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1016/j.pragma.2003.11.008},
year = {2004},
date = {2004-11-01},
urldate = {2004-11-01},
journal = {Journal of Pragmatics},
volume = {36},
number = {11},
pages = {2003-2022},
abstract = {This paper is concerned with children’s pragmatic competence. It presents the results of an empirical study of Danish children’s language in play, focusing on their use of politeness phenomena. Results from the present study are compared with previous research, most of which has found that girls appear to be more polite than boys when they play. This is not confirmed in the present study which found no significant differences in boys’ and girls’ use of mitigation. The girls as well as the boys often used an assertive, unmitigated style in their play. This result is discussed in relation to different patterns of socialisation in Denmark, emphasising the importance of socio-cultural context and peer group influence on children’s language, as well as children’s sensitivity of contextual norms, i.e., their pragmatic competence},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This paper is concerned with children’s pragmatic competence. It presents the results of an empirical study of Danish children’s language in play, focusing on their use of politeness phenomena. Results from the present study are compared with previous research, most of which has found that girls appear to be more polite than boys when they play. This is not confirmed in the present study which found no significant differences in boys’ and girls’ use of mitigation. The girls as well as the boys often used an assertive, unmitigated style in their play. This result is discussed in relation to different patterns of socialisation in Denmark, emphasising the importance of socio-cultural context and peer group influence on children’s language, as well as children’s sensitivity of contextual norms, i.e., their pragmatic competence
2003
Ladegaard, Hans; Bleses, Dorthe
Gender Differences in Young Children's Speech: The Acquisition of Sociolinguistic Competence Journal Article
In: International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 13 (2), pp. 222 - 233, 2003.
@article{Ladegaard2003,
title = {Gender Differences in Young Children's Speech: The Acquisition of Sociolinguistic Competence},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Dorthe Bleses},
doi = {10.1111/1473-4192.00045},
year = {2003},
date = {2003-12-01},
urldate = {2003-12-01},
journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics},
volume = {13},
number = {2},
pages = {222 - 233},
abstract = {Many sociolinguistic studies have found that female speakers prefer standard speech forms while male speakers prefer vernacular forms. This article addresses two questions: (1) when does this split between male and female language occur in the language of young children; and (2) how do little boys and girls come to prefer linguistic features which are predominant in the language of adults? Two hypotheses accounting for the mechanisms of transmission are presented – the frequency hypothesis and the role-model hypothesis – and data from a study of Danish children's acquisition of past-tense morphology is presented. The study found gender differences in the past-tense morphology of the 4-, 6- and 8-year-old participants, and it is argued that the role-model hypothesis would most adequately explain these differences. Furthermore, it is argued that early institutionalisation of children in Denmark may lead to increased peer group influence and help explain why gender differences occur at an earlier age compared to studies from the UK and the USA.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Many sociolinguistic studies have found that female speakers prefer standard speech forms while male speakers prefer vernacular forms. This article addresses two questions: (1) when does this split between male and female language occur in the language of young children; and (2) how do little boys and girls come to prefer linguistic features which are predominant in the language of adults? Two hypotheses accounting for the mechanisms of transmission are presented – the frequency hypothesis and the role-model hypothesis – and data from a study of Danish children's acquisition of past-tense morphology is presented. The study found gender differences in the past-tense morphology of the 4-, 6- and 8-year-old participants, and it is argued that the role-model hypothesis would most adequately explain these differences. Furthermore, it is argued that early institutionalisation of children in Denmark may lead to increased peer group influence and help explain why gender differences occur at an earlier age compared to studies from the UK and the USA.
2002
Ladegaard, Hans
Language attitudes and sociolinguistic behaviour: Exploring attitude‐behaviour relations in language Journal Article
In: Journal of Sociolinguistics, 4 (2), pp. 214 - 233, 2002.
@article{Ladegaard2002,
title = {Language attitudes and sociolinguistic behaviour: Exploring attitude‐behaviour relations in language},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1111/1467-9481.00112},
year = {2002},
date = {2002-12-16},
urldate = {2002-12-16},
journal = {Journal of Sociolinguistics},
volume = {4},
number = {2},
pages = {214 - 233},
abstract = {This paper is concerned with the relationship between attitude and behaviour in language. Adolescent male and female subjects were recorded and index-scores of their linguistic behaviour compared to their assessment of ingroup members in a verbal-guise attitude experiment, and to their attitudes concerning language usage in a questionnaire. It was hypothesised that male subjects' language would be closer to the vernacular, and that they would also express more positive attitudes towards ingroup members than would female subjects. However, no significant correlation between attitude and behaviour was found in the quantitative analysis, but results from the attitude-questionnaire support our hypothesis: male subjects have more vernacular features in their language and also express more genuinely positive attitudes towards the local vernaculars than do female subjects. Finally, methodological and theoretical implications of these results are discussed, emphasising the importance of using eclectic approaches in future research on attitude-behaviour relations in language.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This paper is concerned with the relationship between attitude and behaviour in language. Adolescent male and female subjects were recorded and index-scores of their linguistic behaviour compared to their assessment of ingroup members in a verbal-guise attitude experiment, and to their attitudes concerning language usage in a questionnaire. It was hypothesised that male subjects' language would be closer to the vernacular, and that they would also express more positive attitudes towards ingroup members than would female subjects. However, no significant correlation between attitude and behaviour was found in the quantitative analysis, but results from the attitude-questionnaire support our hypothesis: male subjects have more vernacular features in their language and also express more genuinely positive attitudes towards the local vernaculars than do female subjects. Finally, methodological and theoretical implications of these results are discussed, emphasising the importance of using eclectic approaches in future research on attitude-behaviour relations in language.
Ladegaard, Hans; Basbøll, Hans; Bleses, Dorthe; Cadierno, Teresa; Jensen, Anne; Madsen, Thomas O; Millar, Sharon; Sinha, Chris; Thomsen, Pia
The odense language acquisition project Journal Article
In: Child Language Bulletin, 22 (1), pp. 11-12, 2002.
@article{Ladegaard2002b,
title = {The odense language acquisition project},
author = {Hans Ladegaard and Hans Basbøll and Dorthe Bleses and Teresa Cadierno and Anne Jensen and Thomas O Madsen and Sharon Millar and Chris Sinha and Pia Thomsen},
year = {2002},
date = {2002-01-01},
urldate = {2002-01-01},
journal = {Child Language Bulletin},
volume = {22},
number = {1},
pages = {11-12},
abstract = {The Odense Language Acquisition Project, a collaborative venture of nine researchers from linguistics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, and psychology, represents the largest study to date of the acquisition of Danish as a first language. Working within a cognitive-functional framework, one intention was to build up new acquisition corpora. At the project’s core are four main corpora-supplemented by experimental and observational datasets-which comprise the base for a cluster of related subprojects addressing different issues and employing a variety of methodologies. A short presentation of each of these corpora and the main groups of subprojects follows.
The Odense Twin Corpus is an intensive, small-sample longitudinal survey based on regular, home-based, audio-video recordings of spontaneous speech of six twin pairs (from 9 months to 3 years) and their families. The twins were selected to represent mono-and dizygotic same and single sex pairs. The corpus is being transcribed following CHAT conventions, and the transcripts are semi-automatically coded using a digital system which was developed for this purpose as one of the subprojects, the OLAM-project. The Odense Longitudinal CDI-Survey is a large-scale database of an extensive birth cohort of 200 informants from three different regions. It uses our Danish language adaptation of the MacArthur Parental Report, the CDI, which allows for longitudinal, cross-sectional and cross-regional analyses (Fenson et al. 1992).},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The Odense Language Acquisition Project, a collaborative venture of nine researchers from linguistics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, and psychology, represents the largest study to date of the acquisition of Danish as a first language. Working within a cognitive-functional framework, one intention was to build up new acquisition corpora. At the project’s core are four main corpora-supplemented by experimental and observational datasets-which comprise the base for a cluster of related subprojects addressing different issues and employing a variety of methodologies. A short presentation of each of these corpora and the main groups of subprojects follows.
The Odense Twin Corpus is an intensive, small-sample longitudinal survey based on regular, home-based, audio-video recordings of spontaneous speech of six twin pairs (from 9 months to 3 years) and their families. The twins were selected to represent mono-and dizygotic same and single sex pairs. The corpus is being transcribed following CHAT conventions, and the transcripts are semi-automatically coded using a digital system which was developed for this purpose as one of the subprojects, the OLAM-project. The Odense Longitudinal CDI-Survey is a large-scale database of an extensive birth cohort of 200 informants from three different regions. It uses our Danish language adaptation of the MacArthur Parental Report, the CDI, which allows for longitudinal, cross-sectional and cross-regional analyses (Fenson et al. 1992).
The Odense Twin Corpus is an intensive, small-sample longitudinal survey based on regular, home-based, audio-video recordings of spontaneous speech of six twin pairs (from 9 months to 3 years) and their families. The twins were selected to represent mono-and dizygotic same and single sex pairs. The corpus is being transcribed following CHAT conventions, and the transcripts are semi-automatically coded using a digital system which was developed for this purpose as one of the subprojects, the OLAM-project. The Odense Longitudinal CDI-Survey is a large-scale database of an extensive birth cohort of 200 informants from three different regions. It uses our Danish language adaptation of the MacArthur Parental Report, the CDI, which allows for longitudinal, cross-sectional and cross-regional analyses (Fenson et al. 1992).
2000
Ladegaard, Hans
Paul Bruthiaux, 1996, The Discourse of Classified Advertising. Exploring the Nature of Linguistic Simplicity Journal Article
In: International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 10 (2), pp. 281-285, 2000.
@article{Ladegaard2000,
title = {Paul Bruthiaux, 1996, The Discourse of Classified Advertising. Exploring the Nature of Linguistic Simplicity},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1111/j.1473-4192.2000.tb00154.x},
year = {2000},
date = {2000-12-01},
urldate = {2000-12-01},
journal = {International Journal of Applied Linguistics},
volume = {10},
number = {2},
pages = {281-285},
abstract = {From a wide variety of written sources. Not very surprisingly, Bruthiaux finds that generally there is a much lower frequency of selected syntactic features (articles, pronouns, do-auxiliaries, modals, negatives, be-copulas, prepositions and conjunctions) in CAR than in the LOB and Brown corpora, and he also concludes that there are systematic differences across ad Categories, with auto and apartment ads displaying less syntactic elaboration than job and personal ads. Chapter 4 deals with conventionalization, ie the form and function of prefabricated segments of text, such as idiomatic sequences and collocations (fixed combinations of words), frequently used (and reused) in CAR. First, Bruthiaux provides several examples illustrating how-and suggesting why-conventionalization is employed in CAR, and secondly, he once again lists differences in the use of conventionalization across ad categories.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
From a wide variety of written sources. Not very surprisingly, Bruthiaux finds that generally there is a much lower frequency of selected syntactic features (articles, pronouns, do-auxiliaries, modals, negatives, be-copulas, prepositions and conjunctions) in CAR than in the LOB and Brown corpora, and he also concludes that there are systematic differences across ad Categories, with auto and apartment ads displaying less syntactic elaboration than job and personal ads. Chapter 4 deals with conventionalization, ie the form and function of prefabricated segments of text, such as idiomatic sequences and collocations (fixed combinations of words), frequently used (and reused) in CAR. First, Bruthiaux provides several examples illustrating how-and suggesting why-conventionalization is employed in CAR, and secondly, he once again lists differences in the use of conventionalization across ad categories.
1998
Ladegaard, Hans
National stereotypes and language attitudes: The perception of British, American and Australian language and culture in Denmark Journal Article
In: Language & Communication, 18 (4), 1998.
@article{Ladegaard1998,
title = {National stereotypes and language attitudes: The perception of British, American and Australian language and culture in Denmark},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1016/S0271-5309(98)00008-1},
year = {1998},
date = {1998-10-01},
urldate = {1998-10-01},
journal = {Language & Communication},
volume = {18},
number = {4},
abstract = {In the literature on intercultural communication, stereotyping is often seen mainly as a potential obstruction for successful intergroup communication and therefore something which should be avoided if possible (see eg Scollon and Scollon, 1995). Lippmann (1965) argues, however, that stereotyping is necessary for otur orientation in the world. It is a way of simplifying and economizing and without this our perception of the world around us would be like the baby's,“one great, blooming, buzzing confusion”(p. 54). He defines stereotypes as mental concepts, pictures in our heads which govern the process of perception. In the modern world, he says, life is hurried and multifarious and intimate acquaintance is often impossible, and therefore “we notice a trait which marks a type, and fill in the rest of the picture by means of the stereotypes we carry about in our heads”(p. 59).},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In the literature on intercultural communication, stereotyping is often seen mainly as a potential obstruction for successful intergroup communication and therefore something which should be avoided if possible (see eg Scollon and Scollon, 1995). Lippmann (1965) argues, however, that stereotyping is necessary for otur orientation in the world. It is a way of simplifying and economizing and without this our perception of the world around us would be like the baby's,“one great, blooming, buzzing confusion”(p. 54). He defines stereotypes as mental concepts, pictures in our heads which govern the process of perception. In the modern world, he says, life is hurried and multifarious and intimate acquaintance is often impossible, and therefore “we notice a trait which marks a type, and fill in the rest of the picture by means of the stereotypes we carry about in our heads”(p. 59).
Ladegaard, Hans
Assessing National Stereotypes in Language Attitude Studies: The Case of Class-consciousness in Denmark Journal Article
In: Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 19 (3), pp. 182-198, 1998.
@article{Ladegaard1998b,
title = {Assessing National Stereotypes in Language Attitude Studies: The Case of Class-consciousness in Denmark},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1080/01434639808666351},
year = {1998},
date = {1998-05-01},
urldate = {1998-05-01},
journal = {Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development},
volume = {19},
number = {3},
pages = {182-198},
abstract = {In the literature on national cultures and cross-cultural communication, Denmark and Great Britain are frequently presented as bipolar opposites in terms of social-class distinctions and class-consciousness. Britain is referred to as a class-ridden society where the stigma of a non-standard accent is devastating; Denmark is presented as a country in which social-class distinctions are virtually non-existent. This paper presents results from a language attitude study in Denmark arguing that the views presented in the literature are often popular conceptions, or expressions of political correctness, which appear to have very little in common with people's private uncensored stereotypes. The attitude data suggest that, in Denmark, people are quite capable of assigning social-class membership, and other personal characteristics, to members of different regional and social groups. The paper concludes that the overt stereotype of equalisation and a 'classless orientation' presented in the literature may be explained by reference to political decision-making, but that this appears to tell us very little about the social realities of people's lives.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In the literature on national cultures and cross-cultural communication, Denmark and Great Britain are frequently presented as bipolar opposites in terms of social-class distinctions and class-consciousness. Britain is referred to as a class-ridden society where the stigma of a non-standard accent is devastating; Denmark is presented as a country in which social-class distinctions are virtually non-existent. This paper presents results from a language attitude study in Denmark arguing that the views presented in the literature are often popular conceptions, or expressions of political correctness, which appear to have very little in common with people's private uncensored stereotypes. The attitude data suggest that, in Denmark, people are quite capable of assigning social-class membership, and other personal characteristics, to members of different regional and social groups. The paper concludes that the overt stereotype of equalisation and a 'classless orientation' presented in the literature may be explained by reference to political decision-making, but that this appears to tell us very little about the social realities of people's lives.
1995
Ladegaard, Hans
Audience design revisited: Persons, roles and power relations in speech interactions Journal Article
In: Language & Communication, 15 (1), 1995.
@article{Ladegaard1995,
title = {Audience design revisited: Persons, roles and power relations in speech interactions},
author = {Hans Ladegaard},
doi = {10.1016/0271-5309(94)00017-7},
year = {1995},
date = {1995-01-31},
urldate = {1995-01-31},
journal = {Language & Communication},
volume = {15},
number = {1},
abstract = {Presents extracts of data from a language attitude study in Denmark and applies them to A. Bell's (1984) framework of audience design. These extracts from interviews between a male teacher and 15–17 yr olds suggest that the auditor may be just as important as the addressee in influencing the speaker's style variation. They also suggest that auditors may in fact be addressed, although not explicitly, and that their implicit contributions may be just as significant for the development of the speech interaction as those made by the addressee. One concept that has been neglected in the construction of role relations in audience design is the power relationship between interactants in speech situations. The alternate model proposed here indicates that any person known to the speaker may influence the speaker's language design.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Presents extracts of data from a language attitude study in Denmark and applies them to A. Bell's (1984) framework of audience design. These extracts from interviews between a male teacher and 15–17 yr olds suggest that the auditor may be just as important as the addressee in influencing the speaker's style variation. They also suggest that auditors may in fact be addressed, although not explicitly, and that their implicit contributions may be just as significant for the development of the speech interaction as those made by the addressee. One concept that has been neglected in the construction of role relations in audience design is the power relationship between interactants in speech situations. The alternate model proposed here indicates that any person known to the speaker may influence the speaker's language design.