Blog #4

During our class lecture this week one thing we discussed was the difference between dialect and accent.  Dialect is something that has its own grammatical structure, syntax, and is a variety of a language that is different than the other varieties.  An accent however is purely the pronunciation differences of words, and it is largely due to region and also people you are around. For example, my boyfriend’s grandma is from Alabama, but she only says certain words with that southern twang since she has been here so long; however when her sister, who still resides in Alabama, calls her, her Southern accent comes out full blown and if I did not know better I would think she was a different person.  It is very interesting how not only the location dictates accept but also who is in one’s close environment.

The discussion in class was also raised that there is stereotype about different accents.  For example, Jeff Foxworthy (a native southern) even mentioned a person would not want to hear his or her brain surgeon talk in a thick Southern accent because, unfortunately, people tend to match Southern accents wit lack of education.  To elaborate on this topic, I am posting a clip from a television show called “King of the Hill.”  If you are unfamiliar with this show it is simply about daily life with a typical Texan family, the Hills.  The father, husband, and main character, Hank constantly prides himself with being American and using American products.  In this episode, his friend Boomhauer swaps houses with a Canadian family for one summer.  This causes conflict with Hank and his family; when they are having a summer barbeque, the Canadian family is annoyed and calls the police.  This is where the clip begins.     

http://www.hulu.com/watch/73724/king-of-the-hill-confronting-the-canadians

Although this is clearly fictional, this demonstrates that everyone has some type of premature assumptions of the type of person based on his or her accent.  In addition to this, people will find attributes and characteristics that coincide with their preconceive notions. This means that people will find evidence that fits with their assumptions and therefore the stereotype remains.  This is not always true though, but it seems to occur more often than it should.  I try to think of myself as an opened-minded person and I try not to ever judge a person based on anything superficial, but I know I do unfortunately.  How can a person avoid this though, especially because it is such a huge part of society?