Sociolinguistics Essay

Language can be defined as a system of communication between human beings. Sociolinguistics is a branch of linguistics that shows how the use of language is influenced by factors such as gender, race, and class among others. Language transcends the deepest social bonds in humans, being a critical component of all interactions in people and also in other intelligent beings. In this essay, we shall evaluate the use of language in society, including in the creation and maintenance of relationships, communication at work, identity, among others.

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Individuals are social creatures who need the companionship of other people to survive in their natural environment, as well as to fulfill certain essential needs such as reproduction (Meyerhoff, 2015). Language helps people to create and maintain relationships, but it also sets people from different social groups and within a social group apart. People who speak the same dialect may at times speak differently from each other due to social and environmental backgrounds.

Teamwork among the members of a social group is fostered by the presence of means of communication that people understand. Language is used by people to express their wishes and ideas to others for instance when they need their assistance (Meyerhoff, 2015). People speak differently in different social contexts due to a different setting, psychological state, and the environment. Similarly, people use different registers to communicate in different settings. For example, one may talk and laugh loudly at a bar or a party but the same person will talk in low tones at the workplace. At parties the music is loud and people have attended to enjoy themselves and are free to talk in whatever manner they want without causing attention. In the workplace, on the other hand, people speak in low tones because everyone else is busy and trying to concentrate on their work (Wolfram & Schilling, 2015). Talking loudly in an office would make other employees feel offended and create a bad working environment and therefore people talk differently in these two situations.

The psychological state makes people communicate differently in different situations. An unhappy person is more likely to upset others by communicating negatively, such as giving scathing criticism and sarcasm. The same person, while happy, will perceive situations positively and relate more constructively with their peers. The two situations make people speak differently. An angry person may use abusive language during an argument because anger makes people say things that they do not mean. Anger also affects the way the brain processes information and therefore may make people overreact and get irritated by normal words. According to Ross (2017), angry people have a problem with processing logical statements and are more likely to reject explanations and solutions given by others that could create harmony in communication. Anger adversely affects the process of communication and creates greater conflict because, by its negative effect on communication, it makes it harder for adversaries to solve their issues. It is advisable to withdraw from the dialogue if one feels that the argument has upset him/her.

Score settling is another issue that affects effective communication. A person who wants to win in an argument for the sake of winning it is likely to talk more and dominate over others in a bid to force his/her opinions on them (Ross, 2017). This is especially the case when the person does not follow logical arguments to arrive at their conclusions but want to stick to their argument anyway. Moreover, this may lead him/her to filter the information others are trying to convey. In most cases, this is brought by competition, mistrust, and jealousy. A selfish person has a closed mind and therefore he limits his ability to accept others opinions and suggestions. People are also more likely to develop a closed mind when they feel that the information being conveyed is insignificant. For instance, a manager in a big company does not like it when his juniors win in an argument and he/she tries to filter information given by the subordinates. The manager is also selfish and afraid that if his juniors perform better than him/her they will be promoted and take his/her position. Such a manager is more likely to withhold information from the employees, even if not having the information will affect their ability to work efficiently. The junior employees under such a manager are less likely to perform their duties well, losing them an opportunity at promotion.

In another example, a chauvinist does not agree with the proposals of a female coworker in a meeting and this affects the communication flow in the meeting. It becomes hard to argue with such a close-minded person and contribute any significant information to the exchange. This is because when an individual is close-minded, he will have fixed sentiments on many issues. These prejudices negatively affect the way that the person understands any given information.

Some people tend to be distrustful and defensive during communication and this hinders effective communication. To achieve successful conversation, the communicators need to trust each other or at least trust their shared pursuit for the truth, a solution, or whatever aim they may have for holding a discussion. Distrust is more likely to breed misunderstandings that negatively affect the interpretation of information exchanged between the parties. In the worst-case scenario, people may ignore information from someone they do not trust altogether. When an individual tries to force his/her own opinions and ideas, then the recipient fails to listen. Once he/she does not accept the information provided or thinks of it as a danger, he/she will not heed it.

According to Meyerhoff (2015), contribution to the pool of information available in an argument depends on both parties' perception of the importance of the topic. This explanation demonstrates that if one does not trust the information from the other communicator he/she will talk less compared to when he/she takes heed to the message. For example, a person who does not trust that his/her friend will keep their confidence on personal matters is likely to be more secretive about their life than one who has full confidence in the ability of their close friend(s) to keep information shared in confident without disclosing it to others.

Other reasons why people speak differently in different situations is perception, attitudes viewpoint, and opinions. The mindset setting which people use to judge, understand and interpret others people is called perception. Every individual has his/her own perception of realism which is shaped by mental and sensory understandings. Similarly, the viewpoint is also a mindset to look at the universe. A message sender may have a specific viewpoint that is not shared by the recipient. The sender does not clarify the viewpoint but takes the viewpoint as approved (Wolfram & Schilling, 2015). The information is not understood by the recipient as must have been assumed, creating a barrier to communication. If the sender clarifies all the information to the receiver, they will speak more about the topic because he or she will understand what the sender is saying.

Attitude is the recognized way in which people feel and think about ideas and things. It is another way through which psychological communication barriers can form between people. If an individual develops a bad attitude towards a given message, he or she may decide not to contribute because they perceive it as being of no importance to them. For example, an individual feels that women are weak and this becomes the perception of that individual while dealing with all women or women issues. If such a person speaks about this perception to someone who disagrees, it would cause misunderstandings between the two.

Social status also affects the way people speak to each other. For instance, when speaking to a powerful or wealthy person, a poor or common person is likely to be reverent and probably talk only when talked to. To make the person happy one may try hiding his/her accent so that the receiver will not notice of any shortcoming during their conversation. On the other hand, one is less likely to employ impressive communication styles because the reverence is minimal or non-existent. A case in point; an employee speaks to his boss with respect and cannot joke around as he would with his fellow coworkers. People feel more relaxed when speaking to friends or family members and are more likely to talk loudly and laugh freely. On the other hand, people are more guarded when having conversations with strangers because the bond of trust has not yet been established. This is because he has an intimate relationship with family members and therefore has no fear in expressing his ideas and opinions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, language is an important element of human nature because it enables people to communicate and enjoy richer interactions. Familiarity changes the way people interact. Communications with family members and friends elicit relaxation and trust in the person, while interactions with strangers are more likely to put us on guard. Speaking with or to people in positions of power and influence provokes humility. Ultimately, language allows people to express themselves to others in the most effective ways possible with the aim of maximizing gain from the interactions. Whether in the workplace, among friends and family, or with strangers, the ultimate aim of communication is to improve the society, and most importantly, the individual.

References

Meyerhoff, M. (2015). Introducing Sociolinguistics. Taylor & Francis.

Wolfram, W., & Schilling, N. (2015). American English: dialects and variation (Vol. 25). John Wiley & Sons.

Ross, C. E. (2017). Social causes of psychological distress. Routledge.