33.521, Disc: Debate about Structural Bias in German Dialectology

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-33-521. Fri Feb 11 2022. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 33.521, Disc: Debate about Structural Bias in German Dialectology

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Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 02:19:46
From: Stefan Dollinger [stefan.dollinger at ubc.ca]
Subject: Debate about Structural Bias in German Dialectology

 
My public talk on Austrian German for ascina.at from August 2021, announced
and recorded at https://linguistlist.org/issues/32.2852/, has triggered a
public statement from some of the colleagues whose practice I criticize. In a
one-page response I stress that I view the issue as entirely structural, not
personal, though, of course, structural views are upheld by individual
practice in German dialectology. 

My response can be read here:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356542159_Response_pertaining_to_the_
Statement_from_9_September_2021_by_Alexandra_Lenz_Stephan_Elspass_Gerhard_Budi
n_Stefan_Michael_Newerkla_and_Arne_Ziegler/stats

I think this debate shows well that our interpretations hinge crucially on our
social perspectives as linguists, our roles and interdependencies as members
of a research community, and, doubtless, on the degree of belief in the
objectivity of data. On an epistemological level, it confirms that data
requires independent, fully expressed and upfront theory, even when referring
to ad hoc simpler issues such as "standard language". It suggests that the
notion of "standard", even if used as a reference point of only secondary
interest, needs to be defined: do I conceive my study on an aspect of Austrian
German in relation to an Austrian standard of German (pluricentric notion,
some may prefer the term multi-standard, though the idea is the same) or to a
universal standard of German (monocentric notion, single-standard). I don't
think there is a way today to leave this issue open, especially in the spirit
of de-hegemonial research.



Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics
                     Sociolinguistics

Subject Language(s): German (deu)

Language Family(ies): German



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