Chick

[Gregory {Greg} Downing]

At 05:44 PM 11/12/99, Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OAK.CATS.OHIOU.EDU> wrote:
>And yes, prescriptivism inevitably comes into play when we deal
>with such touchy issues, though I try to move from description and
>subjective reaction toward a class consensus of sorts....
>

Methodologically, this confuses me. Do you analyze what people actually do,
(socio)linguistically, or do you and all the students in the class try to
reach an entente about what you think the right kind of people should and
shouldn't do, linguistically? Those are very different activities. Also, it
would be odd if everyone in a class of any size and diversity ended up
agreeing every time that there was a discussion about what people should and
shouldn't do with regard to some specific linguistic issue. Compare the
*divergence* of opinion about "chick," "girl," etc. seen on this listserv
since early this afternoon.

Best, Greg D.


Greg Downing/NYU, at greg.downing at nyu.edu or gd2 at is2.nyu.edu