ethnopoetics Jan Blommaert

Point of departure: voice A world of inequalities A world of inequalities Major inequality: to get yourself heard in your own cultural codes Major inequality: to get yourself heard in your own cultural codes Such cultural codes are codes of language-in-use: performance Such cultural codes are codes of language-in-use: performance Performance = deployment of culturally organised narrative forms Performance = deployment of culturally organised narrative forms Connects with ‘tradition’: the stock of performable ‘stuff’ in a culture Connects with ‘tradition’: the stock of performable ‘stuff’ in a culture

Language exists as a linguistic system and as a sociolinguistic system Language exists as a linguistic system and as a sociolinguistic system A central function the sociolinguistic system is ‘presentational’ (‘poetic’) A central function the sociolinguistic system is ‘presentational’ (‘poetic’) Poetics emerges out of the selection of particular sociolinguistic resources and the construction of patterns with them Poetics emerges out of the selection of particular sociolinguistic resources and the construction of patterns with them And shows the ongoing work of construction of ‘ways of speaking’ in a community And shows the ongoing work of construction of ‘ways of speaking’ in a community As well as the dynamics of repertoire: verbal forms are selected and combined in view of particular functions (function first, use all there is to be used) As well as the dynamics of repertoire: verbal forms are selected and combined in view of particular functions (function first, use all there is to be used)

Ethnopoetics The search for ‘implicit form’ in narratives (indexical meter) The search for ‘implicit form’ in narratives (indexical meter) Such ‘implicit form’ is a ‘grammar’ of narration, which reveals universal (aesthetic) functions of language Such ‘implicit form’ is a ‘grammar’ of narration, which reveals universal (aesthetic) functions of language And connects, specifically, to local traditions And connects, specifically, to local traditions Five principles Five principles 1. Performed oral narratives are organized in terms of lines, and groups of lines (not in terms of sentences and paragraphs).

2. The relations between lines and groups of lines are based on the general principle of poetic organization called equivalence [i.e. the use of ‘similarities’ and ‘differences’ in languages, JB]. Equivalence may involve any feature of language. Features that count to constitute lines are well known: stress, tonal accent, syllable, initial consonant (alliteration), and such forms of equivalence are commonly called metrical [i.e. they have to do with ‘poetic meter’: the organization of rhyme schemes, stanza organization etc., JB]. Lines of whatever length may also be treated as equivalent in terms of the various forms of rhyme, tone group or intonation contour, initial particles, recurrent syntactic pattern, consistency of contrast of grammatical feature, such as tense or aspect. 2. The relations between lines and groups of lines are based on the general principle of poetic organization called equivalence [i.e. the use of ‘similarities’ and ‘differences’ in languages, JB]. Equivalence may involve any feature of language. Features that count to constitute lines are well known: stress, tonal accent, syllable, initial consonant (alliteration), and such forms of equivalence are commonly called metrical [i.e. they have to do with ‘poetic meter’: the organization of rhyme schemes, stanza organization etc., JB]. Lines of whatever length may also be treated as equivalent in terms of the various forms of rhyme, tone group or intonation contour, initial particles, recurrent syntactic pattern, consistency of contrast of grammatical feature, such as tense or aspect.

3. Sequences of equivalent units commonly constitute sets and do so in terms of a few patterned numbers. Sets of two and four are commonly found together in many traditions, as are sets of three and five in others. Where one of these sets is the unmarked pattern, the other pattern may serve to mark emphasis and intensification (...). In both the unmarked and marked cases the formative principle is that of arousal and satisfaction of expectation (...) 3. Sequences of equivalent units commonly constitute sets and do so in terms of a few patterned numbers. Sets of two and four are commonly found together in many traditions, as are sets of three and five in others. Where one of these sets is the unmarked pattern, the other pattern may serve to mark emphasis and intensification (...). In both the unmarked and marked cases the formative principle is that of arousal and satisfaction of expectation (...)

4. Texts are not ordinarily constituted according to a fixed length or fixed sequence of units. Rather, each performance of a narrative may differ from each other, responsive to context and varying intention. The patterning of a text as a whole is an emergent configuration (...) 4. Texts are not ordinarily constituted according to a fixed length or fixed sequence of units. Rather, each performance of a narrative may differ from each other, responsive to context and varying intention. The patterning of a text as a whole is an emergent configuration (...) 5. Variations and transformations in narratives appear to involve a small number of dimensions, which may prove universal as elements in a model of the mind of the narrator. (...)” 5. Variations and transformations in narratives appear to involve a small number of dimensions, which may prove universal as elements in a model of the mind of the narrator. (...)”

Implicit form shows two dimensions Implicit form shows two dimensions –A universal one: aesthetic ordering as a function of language –A particular one: local traditions of narration Needed to reflect “on the general problem of assessing behavioural repertoire, and [alert] students to the small portion of cultural behavior that people can be expected to report or describe, when asked, and the much smaller portion that an average person can be expected to manifest by doing on demand. (Some social research seems incredibly to assume that what there is to find out can be found out by asking)”. Needed to reflect “on the general problem of assessing behavioural repertoire, and [alert] students to the small portion of cultural behavior that people can be expected to report or describe, when asked, and the much smaller portion that an average person can be expected to manifest by doing on demand. (Some social research seems incredibly to assume that what there is to find out can be found out by asking)”.

Illustrations Handout: discovering voice Handout: discovering voice –Identifying the narrative –Detecting the patterns of the narrative –Assuming that these patterns represent the voice of the speaker –And that she performs lived experience –Implicit form indexes such experiences

*So in ’95 in September ’95 I came here. in. *Belgium.. to Zaventem whe I=*when a pass the border I went to the =the city. (?a*gεbəƷ٨*muwε) ask me.. where is my passport.. I say “yeah”. I no get nothing I no get passport. I no get document. they say so if I no get document I for go Salone.. but see de are for no go Salone Salone de were (i) there *boKU::: everybody de die.. so. de all for stay here … and I went to talk. I ex*plained to *them. what is *happen. and I say yeah. what explain to them is not so *clear. *so I for *go again to =to *talk. (?b ٨ *may) I sa*bi say.. what *there they *tell *them. is *always that they *tell *them. / but *yeah

‘standard’ English Krio (Sierra Leone Creole) ‘Black’ Englishes « Belgium » « Sierra Leone » « contact zone » rational emotional repetitive

Restorative philology “The work that discloses such form can be a kind of repatriation. It can restore to native communities and descendants a literary art that was implicit, like so much of language, but that now, when continuity of verbal tradition has been broken, requires analysis to be recognized” “The work that discloses such form can be a kind of repatriation. It can restore to native communities and descendants a literary art that was implicit, like so much of language, but that now, when continuity of verbal tradition has been broken, requires analysis to be recognized”

“One merit of verse analysis (as this work can be called) is that it helps recognize the worth of oral traditions for which we have only written evidence. (…) When lines, verses, and relations are recognized, one can venture to perform the narratives again, given appropriate circumstances”. “One merit of verse analysis (as this work can be called) is that it helps recognize the worth of oral traditions for which we have only written evidence. (…) When lines, verses, and relations are recognized, one can venture to perform the narratives again, given appropriate circumstances”. Based on understanding of the place of linguistic resources in the speech repertoires of individuals and groups (= ethnographic) Based on understanding of the place of linguistic resources in the speech repertoires of individuals and groups (= ethnographic)

Hymes’ aim is to restore cultural traditions that have been ‘misrecognized’ and have thus perished: politics of recognition Hymes’ aim is to restore cultural traditions that have been ‘misrecognized’ and have thus perished: politics of recognition Applicable to contemporary circumstances too: misrecognized voices require reconstruction (e.g. asylum, police/court interviewing, experiential narratives) Applicable to contemporary circumstances too: misrecognized voices require reconstruction (e.g. asylum, police/court interviewing, experiential narratives) Difference with e.g. Labov: focus on implicit form and indexical meaning rather than on explicit form and referential meaning (what people say) Difference with e.g. Labov: focus on implicit form and indexical meaning rather than on explicit form and referential meaning (what people say)