Intra-Speaker Variation and Sociophonetic Identity Construction in Political Rhetoric

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Style & Style-Shifting

Labov's Attention To Speech

Giles' Communication Accommodation Theory

Bell's Audience Design

Speaker Design Approaches

Language, Identity And Politics

Chapter 2: African American English

Terminology

Genesis

Usage

Features Of African American English

Chapter 3: Persons Of Interest

Biography Barack Obama

Biography Ben Carson

Chapter 4: Contextualization Of Speech Samples

Barack Obama: Speeches And Interviews

Ben Carson: Speeches And Interviews

Chapter 5: Methodology And Variables

Methodology

Variables

Chapter 6: Findings

Barack Obama: Speeches

Barack Obama: Interviews

Topic And Setting

Ben Carson: Speeches

Ben Carson: Interviews

Topic And Setting

Chapter 7: Discussion

Responsive-Based Approaches To Style-Shifting

Speaker Design Approaches To Style-Shifting

Obama

Linguistic Authenticity

Carson

Limitations

Conclusion

Research Objectives and Themes

This study investigates the linguistic performances of two black American politicians, Barack Obama and Ben Carson, by analyzing their use of style-shifting between African American English (AAE) and General American English (GAE). The research aims to understand how these politicians construct their identities and achieve situational goals when addressing audiences of differing ethnic compositions within high-performance political contexts.

• Analysis of style-shifting patterns in political speeches and interviews.
• Comparative sociophonetic study of Obama and Carson using three phonological variables: (ING), (AI), and (R).
• Investigation of audience design and speaker design as rhetorical tools in political discourse.
• Examination of the relationship between linguistic variety, identity construction, and perceived authenticity.
• Evaluation of the impact of setting and topic on linguistic choices in formal political performances.

Excerpt from the Book

Chapter Summaries

Introduction: This chapter provides the background on political "high performances" and the controversy surrounding Barack Obama's linguistic choices, establishing the research questions and methodology.

Chapter 1: Style & Style-Shifting: This chapter reviews traditional and contemporary theories of stylistic variation, focusing on the shift from responsive-based approaches like Labov's to Speaker Design models.

Chapter 2: African American English: This chapter defines the linguistic variety under study, exploring its history, debate over terminology, and specific phonological, grammatical, and lexical features.

Chapter 3: Persons Of Interest: This chapter provides biographical overviews of Barack Obama and Ben Carson, focusing on their distinct linguistic backgrounds and formative years.

Chapter 4: Contextualization Of Speech Samples: This chapter details the selection of specific speeches and interviews, providing the necessary context regarding setting, audience, and chronological proximity.

Chapter 5: Methodology And Variables: This chapter describes the sociophonetic methodology, the justification for choosing the variables (ING), (AI), and (R), and the data collection process.

Chapter 6: Findings: This chapter presents the quantitative data from the acoustic analysis, contrasting the stylistic choices of Obama and Carson across different audiences and settings.

Chapter 7: Discussion: This chapter evaluates the empirical results against the theoretical frameworks introduced, analyzing why Obama and Carson diverge in their use of AAE.

Keywords

Style-shifting, African American English, General American English, Speaker Design, Sociophonetics, Barack Obama, Ben Carson, Identity Construction, Political Rhetoric, Audience Design, Language Variation, Linguistic Authenticity, Phonological Variables.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this research?

The work focuses on intra-speaker linguistic variation, specifically analyzing if and how two high-profile African American politicians, Barack Obama and Ben Carson, style-shift between African American English (AAE) and General American English (GAE) when addressing different audiences.

Which theoretical models underpin the study?

The study transitions from traditional responsive-based theories, such as Labov's Attention to Speech, Giles' Communication Accommodation Theory, and Bell's Audience Design, toward contemporary Speaker Design approaches that view language as an active tool for identity construction.

What is the primary research question?

The research asks if, when, and to what extent Obama and Carson employ features of AAE during high-performance political events, and how these choices reflect their individual identity management and situational goals.

How does the author conduct the linguistic analysis?

The author performs an acoustic analysis of three specific sociophonetic variables—(ING), (AI), and (R)—across selected speeches and interviews, comparing the frequency of AAE vs. GAE variants in various audience and setting contexts.

What content is covered in the main body of the work?

The main body covers a theoretical review of style-shifting, a linguistic profile of AAE, detailed biographies of the two politicians, the contextualization of the analyzed speech samples, the presentation of findings, and a final discussion connecting the results to identity work.

What keywords best describe this study?

Key terms include style-shifting, African American English, Speaker Design, sociophonetics, identity construction, political rhetoric, and linguistic authenticity.

How does Obama’s stylistic approach differ from Carson’s?

The study finds that Obama actively employs AAE features, particularly when addressing predominantly black audiences in specific contexts, whereas Carson consistently uses GAE across all analyzed samples, effectively maintaining a more static public persona.

Why is the concept of "identity work" central to the conclusion?

The author argues that linguistic choices are not merely responsive to external factors but represent proactive "identity work," where politicians use language to craft and project specific personas, such as Obama's "inspirational" versus "professional" voices or Carson's narrative of socioeconomic ascent.