17.291, Review: Socioling/Anthro Ling: Ng, Candlin & Chiu (2004)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-17-291. Fri Jan 27 2006. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 17.291, Review: Socioling/Anthro Ling: Ng, Candlin & Chiu (2004)

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1)
Date: 24-Jan-2006
From: Natalie Rublik < nrublik2 at uwo.ca >
Subject: Language Matters: Communication, Culture, and Identity 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 16:56:47
From: Natalie Rublik < nrublik2 at uwo.ca >
Subject: Language Matters: Communication, Culture, and Identity 
 

EDITORS: Ng, Sik Hung; Candlin, Christopher N.; Chiu, Chi Yue
TITLE: Language Matters
SUBTITLE: Communication, Culture, and Identity
PUBLISHER: City University of Hong Kong Press
YEAR: 2004
Announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/16/16-2715.html 

Natalie Rublik, Faculty of Education, The University of Western Ontario

INTRODUCTION

''Language Matters'' constitutes a compilation of selected scholarly 
papers presented at the 8th International Conference on Language 
and Social Psychology held in Hong Kong. As the title and subtitle 
suggest, this volume deals with the complex subject of how the use of 
language plays out through communication, in different cultural 
arenas, and varied identity constructs. Key issues explored in this 519-
page collection are divided into 4 sections: I) Communication, II) 
Cultural Processes, III) Social Identity and IV) Communicating Culture 
and Identity in Natural Social Settings. In constructing this volume, the 
authors vividly allow these elements to come alive in its real-life 
applications. While the social aspect of language communication is 
stressed, its cognitive aspect is not ignored. The chapters would 
primarily interest researchers and graduate students in Applied 
Linguistics (AL). Readers should have a background in AL and 
knowledge of contemporary discussions in the field; nevertheless, the 
texts are clearly written and make for fascinating reading. 

OVERVIEW

A comprehensive Overview and Synthesis introduces ''Language 
Matters''. In introducing the central focus of this collection, the impact 
of language in communication, culture and identity constructs, the 
reader is well prepared to digest the series of varied and complex 
chapters. Ng, Candlin and Chiu explicate the primary theoretical 
model used throughout the various contributions. The editors stress 
that despite the ''diverse intellectual traditions'' of the contributors, 
they share similar assumptions about the essence of human 
interactions (p. 9). Also provided are 3 separate diagrams which help 
the reader visualize the ''Dynamic interactions of communication, 
identity, and culture'', via social identity, shared knowledge 
(interpretive culture), communicative actions, experienced quality of 
interaction and context and structure of social interactions (p. 12). The 
editors hope that this theoretical model will motivate others to develop 
further unified conceptual frameworks which not only maintain social 
stability, but more importantly effect real social change as well (p. 23). 

SUMMARY OF CHAPTERS

Section I 'Communication' includes 4 chapters by different authors 
who address an approach to communication, such as Communication 
Accommodation Theory (CAT), and cognitive theories. This section 
nicely links terror management gender-as-culture and dominance 
theories with intergenerational communication. Beginning this section 
is the chapter, ''An Intergroup Approach to Communicating Stigma'', 
where Jessica R. Abrams and Howard Giles examine the ways in 
which gays and lesbians have been stigmatized by exploring and 
analyzing four ''theoretical approaches (self-enhancement, terror 
management, ingroup enhancement, and system justification)'' 
(Crocker et al., 1998). The authors use these approaches to show 
how heterosexuals have excluded gays and lesbians on various levels 
of communication and language. 

In Chapter 2, ''Emotional Expression as a Sociolinguistic Strategy'', 
Bernadette Watson and Cindy Gallois utilize the CAT perspective and 
a discussion of 3 studies to examine the ''interactions between health 
professionals and patients'' (p. 63). They found that ''patients are 
more likely to view communication as effective when there is no 
recognition of the relational dimension of the interaction'' (pp. 63-63), 
considering the role of emotional expression in these interactions. 

In Chapter 3, ''A Self-Categorization Perspective on Gender and 
Communication'', Nicholas A. Palomares, Scott A. Reid and James J. 
Bradac argue that ''communication reflects the relevant similarities and 
differences of men and women in any given social context'' (p. 306). 
They accomplish this by reviewing gender and communication 
research and explanations, self-categorization theory and social 
identity salience, and mutual accommodation and linguistic gender 
reversal. 

Chapter 4, ''Seeing the Difference, Feeling the Difference'', by 
authors, Angie Williams, Peter Garrett and Rosalind Tennant, 
concludes this first section on Communication. The authors also apply 
CAT in their extensive, quantitative study involving 243 university 
students in the UK, where they found that ''young adults (aged 18 to 
25 years old) view interaction with (younger) teenagers in intergroup 
terms'' (p. 3). 

Section II 'Cultural Processes' comprises 4 chapters in which authors 
present their unique contributions to the matter of language in diverse 
cultural contexts, as seen in the East and the West. Culture is clearly 
defined, and functions of cultural learning are explored in various 
comparative studies. Terry Kit-Fong Au opens this section with 
Chapter 5, ''Making Sense of Differences''. Using a narrative approach 
the author weaves 3 stories together to better understand language 
and cultural differences within and between groups. Au highlights 
Taylor's (2002) findings, which move from a 
documentation/description to a ''Why and How'' focus on 
understanding cultural differences.

In Chapter 6, ''Symbols and Interactions'', Chi Yue Chiu and Jing 
Chen   present their detailed examination of culture and language 
through their Culture-Carrier-Context (CCC) model. Cultural carriers, 
such as language and institutions, are looked at, as well as an in-
depth discussion of the definition of culture, as the authors define it. 
This chapter includes appropriate and meaningful quotes from G. H. 
Mead.

Both Chapters 7 ''Culture and Intergenerational Communication'', by 
Hiroshi Ota, and 8 ''A Comparative Study of Chinese and English 
Metaphorical Representation of Time'', by Rong Zhou, conclude this 
Cultural Process section. In Chapter 7, the author argues that cross-
cultural research needs to address intergenerational differences and 
social psychological factors, for a more complete analysis of culture 
and language. Here, the importance of understanding that ''culture is 
communication'' (Hall, 1973, p. 97) is also stressed. 

On a related note in Chapter 8, Zhou examines the metaphorical 
representation of time in quantitative study involving Chinese and 
British university students. In his study, the author found that time 
metaphors are very similar most of the time in English and Chinese 
cultures. However, this finding does not mean that these cultures hold 
the exact same metaphorical representations of time. 

Section III 'Social Identity' contains 4 chapters which address deviance 
and leadership in groups, ethnolinguistic vitality, intergenerational 
communication and the intersection of language and globalization 
within an international landscape. Opening this section is Chapter 
9, ''Social Identity, Self-Categorization, and Communication in Small 
Groups'', where Michael A. Hogg presents various findings concerning 
social identity research related to deviance and leadership within 
group communication. He also shows how social identity theory has 
played a significant role in this research (Tajfel, 1969; Tajfel & Turner, 
1986). 

The next two chapters highlight the emergence of new identities. In 
Chapter 10, ''Language and the Situated Nature of Ethnic Identity'', 
Kimberly A. Noels, Richard Clement and Sophie Gaudet discuss two 
key aspects of a 10-year research program: ''(1) the socio-structural 
status or ethnolinguistic vitality of the groups [i.e. Anglo-Ontarians, 
Quebecois, Franco-Ontarian, other international students] under 
consideration, and (2) the immediate interpersonal situation in which 
intercultural contact takes place'' (p. 246). Anxiety and confidence in 
using a second language is also examined in this research. 

In Chapter 11, ''Exploring Social Support and Social Identity within a 
Multigenerational Community of Women'', Margaret Jane Pitts and 
Amanda Lee Kundrat present a qualitative, multi-case study involving 
nine female neighbors. Their study focused on detailed, descriptive 
narrative of the ''functions and uses of social support'' (p. 267) among 
these women, with some of the emergent themes being 'Offers 
Emotional Support', 'Provides Resources', and 'Sustains 
Independence' (p. 272).

This section finishes with a directional turn in Chapter 12, ''Language, 
Tourism and Globalization''. In their research, Adam Jaworski and 
Crispin Thurlow consider ''international inflight magazines as a 
prototypical example of institutionally driven, heavily mediated tourist 
discourse''..., ''tourist-host interactions in British television holiday 
programs''..., '''communication diaries' of British tourists in Gambia''..., 
[and] ''interviews with Polish farmers running holiday businesses'' (p. 
300). 

The final section of the book 'Communicating Culture and Identity in 
Natural Social Settings' comprises 8 chapters written by various 
authors. The first two chapters together open the discussion with ill 
health and caregiver identity. Chapter 13, ''Creating Caregiver 
Identity'', by authors, Marie Y. Savundranayagam and Mary Le 
Hummert, looks at communication challenges experienced between 
caregivers and persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, spousal 
and filial identities are found to be affected by the language abilities of 
those afflicted with AD. 

In Chapter 14, ''Communicating Disability'', Cindy Gallois focuses on 
persons with later, acquired disabilities, their notion of self and their 
encounters with stereotypes in communication. Her paper also ''deals 
with the impact of identity on motivation for rehabilitation'' (p. 359) the 
associated consequences, and the role of heath professionals in this 
process.

The next few chapters deal with mentorship communication. In 
Chapter 15, ''Will You be My Mentor?'', Pamela Kalbfleisch presents 
her study involving 61 students at the University of Hawai'i and their 
communication patterns when seeking a mentor. In Chapter 
16, ''Mentoring Recidivist Youth Offenders'', Chris J. Pawson and 
Carla L. Gibbes move mentoring to the prison environment. They 
describe the implementation of a Young Offenders Mentoring 
Intervention (YOMI) in a descriptive study involving 42 male recidivist 
youth offenders. The results indicated that the implementation 
strategy influenced the protective role of a mentor in three risk 
sources: the individual, the family, and socio-economic status and 
context.

In Chapter 17, ''Improving the Evaluation of Mentoring Programs'', 
Ralph Renger concludes the mentoring discussion by arguing for 
more effective empirical research, rather than the more frequent 
anecdotal evidence of such. The author's three figures assist the 
reader in visualizing the focus of mentoring of studies, the 'Why?' of 
these studies, and how these move us toward a more comprehensive 
evaluation of mentoring programs.

The following two chapters extend the discussion of youths. 
Specifically, in Chapter 18, ''Discursive Construction of Knowledge and 
Narratives about Gangster Youth'', Angel M. Y. Lin and Tit-Wong Lo 
present their qualitative study involving gangster youth in Hong Kong. 
One of their main goals was to analyze the discourse and 
communication strategies of the interviewers and the participants. In 
Chapter 19, ''Rap Lyrics and Antisocial Effects on Young People in 
Hong Kong'', Jacky Chau-kiu Cheung presents his study which 
examines the ''effect of death awareness on the Hong Kong 
undergraduate's self-defense in terms of denying the harm of rap 
songs on oneself, approving of antisocial rap lyrics, and concealing 
preference for rap music'' (p. 454). 

Authors, Patricia Noller and Judith A. Feenay, conclude this book with 
Chapter 20, ''Conflict in Families with Adolescents'', as they turn the 
focus to the family. They provide an integrative review of research 
involving families with adolescents. Overall, their review supports 
a ''systems view of the family'' (p. 493). One of the significant findings 
indicated that spousal and parent-child relationships may both affect 
sibling relationships as well. 

EVALUATION

To evaluate the strengths and limitations of ''Language Matters'', I 
target five main aspects: 
1. Scope (how thoroughly the intended scope is covered); 
2. Sequence and organization of chapters; 
3. Chapter contents (currency of information/knowledge included and 
the quality of examples and illustrations); 
4. Formatting (general layout, table of contents and index); 
5. Overall quality.

1. Scope: The most striking aspect of this book is the breadth and 
depth by which diverse topics, such as gender and intergenerational 
communication; language and ethnic/social identity; language, tourism 
and globalization, and mentorship are explored. These far-reaching 
topics may even introduce uncharted territory for some readers. 
However, some readers may find only certain sections or chapters 
addressing their particular interests. Thus, the book's breadth and 
comprehensive portrayal of language matters could be viewed as a 
positive and/or a limitation.

2. Sequence and organization: The chapters are appropriately 
grouped, given the thematically organized sections. Certain chapters 
could belong to more than one section, given the intersecting issues 
of some papers. Consequently, this collection of papers could be read 
as presented in sequential order or randomly, according to the 
reader's specific interests, as each chapter may stand on its own. 
However, the editors' overview and synthesis should be read first to 
provide the reader with essential background information, on which 
the chapters' contents are based. 

3. Chapter contents: The articles are supported with substantial 
research and the various studies cited in the book are most recent 
and help to provide readers with updated information/knowledge 
about the topics. To examine and discuss their particular issue, the 
variety of chapters use a variety of means, such as qualitative and 
quantitative research, narrative accounts, practical applications and 
current literature citations. The collection of papers also represents an 
international selection of authors and studies. Given the detailed 
definitions of subject specific terms and explanations, a novice 
student/researcher should be able to come to an understanding of the 
complex issues explored in each chapter. Perhaps the greatest 
strength of this volume lies in its authentic illustrations of such themes. 

4. Formatting: The editors' Overview and Synthesis proves particularly 
beneficial by explaining the theoretical framework used for the four 
sections of ''Language Matters: Communication, Culture, and Identity''. 
However, the editors' Overview and Synthesis contains a few editorial 
errors on p. 3, where the authors of Chapters 2 and 3 are 
interchanged, which in turn creates confusion for the reader. The 
individual chapter references, table of contents, editors' and 
contributors' background information and the subject index are 
complete and clearly helpful to readers of the book. A glossary of 
technical terms and a name index might have been valuable additions 
to this book. 

5. Overall quality: The editors effectively present a varied collection of 
conference presentations, which deserve a serious read by Social 
Science and AL scholars. This edited collection will most certainly 
attract and awaken curiosity in the reader by means of including a 
comprehensive range of articles addressing issues as far reaching as 
gay/lesbian discourse and rap communication to both Eastern and 
Western cultural arenas. Not only are theoretical constructs well 
established, but many real-life applications of the interaction of 
communication, culture and identity are found in this insightful volume. 
Despite the vast research presented in each article, many new 
questions arise, and the authors invite scholars, and students to 
continue thinking about them from a critical perspective. 

REFERENCES

Crocker, J., Major, B., & Steele, C. (1998). Social stigma. D. Gilbert & 
S. Fiske (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (pp. 504-553). Boston: 
McGraw-Hill. 

Hall, E. T. (1973). Silent language. Garden City, NY: Anchor Book.

Tajfel, H. (1969). Cognitive aspects of prejudice. Journal of Social 
Issues, 25, 79-97. 

Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity theory of 
intergroup behavior. S. Worchel & W. Austin (Eds.), Psychology of 
intergroup relations (pp. 7-24). Chicago: Nelson-Hall.

Taylor, S. E. (2002). The tending instinct: How nurturing is essential to 
who we are and how we live. New York: Times Books. 

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Natalie Rublik is currently writing her doctoral thesis, 
entitled "Investigating the Role of Culture in the Development of Oral 
Fluency: A Case Study of Chinese Learners of English". She has 
taught English as a second language (ESL) in South Korea, The 
Czech Republic and China and ESL in Canada. She also teaches 
Multicultural Education and ESL Theory/Practice courses in the 
Faculties of Education and Continuing Teacher Education at the 
University of Western Ontario. Her research interests include Second 
Language Acquisition, Sociolinguistics and Multicultural Education.





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