Research Paper Example on Language Use and Society Structure and Order

Abstract

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Language is system and unit of interaction and communication. Through language, people can share their ideas and thoughts, compare and contrast, express their feelings and disappointments, and create and share new insights across the divide. Studies have been carried out to determine the relationship between language and society; however, a greater percentage has considered the cultural dimension. This study examines the implication of language use on the structure of the society as well as the societal order. The qualitative analysis concluded that the use of language defines the organization of the society in line with the level of integration and culture development.

Introduction

A language is an approach used to communicate in society among individuals with a specific interest. The objective of using a specific language when communicating is to enhance the level of information sharing among similar speakers. The interrelation between language and society has generated a subfield is a sociology called sociolinguistics where scholars have studied the way language influence the level of interaction, structure, and shifts in a societal setup. The knowledge regarding society and language is diverse and have been focused on control variables among communities such as gender, age, class, race, and religion. A critical analysis of these factors has resulted into different interpretations of how language shapes the society as well as the impact on social order (Hickey, 2014). A deeper assessment in line with anthropological linguistics has revealed the other dimension associated with culture-based language on the environment and development changes characterizing the society.

The importance of the use of language dates back to the civilization period when language was at the center of the success witnessed. Language is spoken-oriented as opposed to writing; therefore, it a common device that can enable one to form ideas, store information, and make reflections that can influence decisions. The social component of language is associated with the creators and regular users thus generating a specific and different implication on a specific group of users in society. The evaluation of the use of and interactive influence associated with language in a societal setup reveals several dimensions that can justify the correlation between language and the structure of the society (Elmes, 2010; Hickey, 2014). While assessing the nature of a community such as the dormant group, gender composition, and common practices, language becomes an essential tool to hint essential inclinations, behaviors, and values associated with the individuals in question. Although several scholars have evaluated multiple paths associated with the nature of social order and shifts based on the language used by a group of people, there is a need for more analysis to reveal the contribution of language in shaping the structure of the society and informing the shifts witnessed in line with the social order. This systematic analysis paper is a qualitative assessment of how language use defines the structure of the society and influence the social order.

Research Justification

Scholars have associated possible evolution of the human language from the grunts of animals, but no clear and valid explanation or pattern has been established. Therefore, human speech is one of the areas where limited research has been advanced regarding the origin and development. A clear analysis of language indicates how it is a tool that differentiates humans from other animals. Such a consideration has been the basis of the superiority of the humans in communication. The centrality of language in communication within the society is a social aspect that has been studied widely (Elmes, 2010). Scholars have also generated a new dimension of language, which attempts to determine the behavioral and cognitive implication on an individual or group. Although there is limited knowledge regarding the contribution of language based on evolutionary accounts, it is clear that the shaping of behavior, as well as the structure of the society, has been the baseline for a wider perspective of language use. People can speak or write thoughts, ideas, inquiries, and responses because of the existence of language as a tool for interaction. Therefore, language can be considered as part of the human psychology (Elmes, 2010; Hickey, 2014).

Moreover, language is a dynamic system associated with shifts that can be described as a sequence of movement. The analogy of change and dynamism is a truism that has been examined over the years in line to language development. Scholars have pointed out that as a language advances there is a change in the impact created from the immediate environment. The old accounts attempt to describe the origin of language, but the dynamic changes associated with the constant use is comprehensive (Jourdan & Tuite, 2006). The necessity for a thorough investigation of the reflection of the change and development in the structure and order related to society are not extensively studied. Therefore, historical analysis of language origin and development scarcely account to the mechanisms of language change (Hickey, 2014). The centrality of the modern society in line with the transformations in language is a clear indicator of the structural implications associated with the societal order. Although such arguments call for the accountability of the control factors such as language structure and system, language change and effect on society have been a subject of research among sociolinguists and other language professionals.

Furthermore, a critical assessment of the Labovs three stage language change indicates the correlation between origin, propagation, and conclusion stages associated with the change process. Although the concern for language assessment is bound to the understanding of the origin, more emphasis is founded on the propagation. Therefore, the society becomes the media through which the changes and sentiments associated with the system are shared from one group to another (Hickey, 2014). The last stage of conclusion has not been given much attention since language development is progressive. Nevertheless, the propagation process is associated with significant implications for the society as well as to the language. A critical examination of the mechanisms related to the passing of the key sentiments related to language from one group or generation to another indicates a dynamic shift, which alters not only the language but the orientation of the associated society. Jourdan and Tuite (2006) pointed out that language propagation is associated with various shifts and implication that exert change to the surrounding system. A clear understanding of how the social system in line with structure and order is affected based on the dynamic nature of language will advance the knowledge in sociolinguistics and psychology, which is the objective of this paper.

Research Questions and Objectives

The evaluation of how language affects the society is one of the key concerns of sociolinguistics. The research was dedicated to the assessment of how language use defines the social structure. Therefore, to attain the anticipated outcome, the research focused on the implication of language on the social dimensions. The paper was centered on the correlation between language and the core dimension of the community. It was necessary to give the paper a multidimensional perspective because other variables associated with the shaping of the society. On the other hand, the research also evaluated the effect of language use on social order. The paper was designed to establish how the use of language alter and maintain the orientation of the society. The two objectives, therefore, assisted in setting the baseline for the research questions and the methodology to be used in attaining the outlined objectives. Moreover, through the aims of the study, the researcher was able to conclude the topic based on the findings.

Based on the subject of evaluation, the scope of the paper was based one hypothesis. The researcher hypothesized that the use of language defines the structure of the society in line with the level of integration and culture development. In such a case the language is seen a potent tool of communication and interaction used to preserve, modify, and transmit the values and principles from one generation to another. The following summary represents the key assessment objectives and the research questions developed from the objectives that guided this study.

O1. To determine how language use reflects the structure of the society

O2. To determine how language use maintains and alters the social order

Q1. How does how language use reflect the structure of the community?

Q2. How does language use maintain and alter the social order?

Review of the Literature

Meaning of Language

Language is a medium for communication among humans associated with the language-based form of interaction. Language is the most complex approach used to share knowledge, ideas, commands, threats, and opinions. Over the years, language has developed from simple concepts to comprehensive sets of principles that include grammar and spellings that are based on contexts (UIO, 2014). Although other animal species have been proved to have means of non-linguistic communication, language is exclusive to humans. Animals can express non-verbal and verbal forms of communication resembling the human elements such as happiness, anger, disappointment, affection, and gratitude but such forms of expressions cannot be compared to the systematic orientation and development of language. Therefore, language has been known to be the most advanced means of communication. The diversity of language concept is based on the core principles that distinguish it from other forms of communication (Jourdan & Tuite, 2006). The articulation ability and the syntax associated with the rules and guidelines have been the concepts used to develop and define different languages. The double articulation of language, therefore, consists of signs related to form and meaning spoken in a sequence of sounds and written in letters.

Origin of Language and Language Families

The humans are the only species on earth associated with a complex means of communication with written and spoken options. Language use in humans is one of the characteristics that biologists and archeologist have used to describe the humans with the Latin term for wise man based on the historical evidence (Jourdan & Tuite, 2006). The Precambrian period is linked to the separation of the human race from the other hominids because of the major advancements in the way of life that the Homo sapiens depicted. According to the h...