1. African American Communication COM 370/372 John R. Baldwin

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klxGFA nY4nIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klxGFA nY4nI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G43- J6wfFbYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G43- J6wfFbY Hooked on Ebonics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj3qeM Ns7h4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj3qeM Ns7h4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EvR3_ S23KMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EvR3_ S23KM 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 2

3. 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 3 Some Key Points Communication interacts with history, cultural values, and surrounding contexts Some of what we find about African American identities and communication may apply to other identities Cultural values and communication styles “guide but do not dictate” identities of individuals, with many in a group not holding to these values and styles

4. 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 4 http://eriklerouge.blogspot.com/2009/11/mix-black-population-of-usa.html

5. 5 http://www.docstoc.com/docs/44289999/US-Black-or-African-American-Population-by-State-Percent

6. Some questions Is there such a thing as “Black” communication? –If so, what is it? –What are some possible limitations of thinking in terms of “Black” communication? –Why does it exist? Deficit hypothesis Difference hypothesis 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 6

7. Limits on “Racial” Generalizations More difference within than between: Different ways of living out blackness (etc.) Ethnicity or ethnicities The role of social economic status (S. Hall, 1992; Asante, 1987; Halbserstadt, 1985)

8. Houston & Wood “Race” as a social and political construction. “Although mythical and arbitrary,” “race” has real impact “Disparate opportunities and status”  Standpoint 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 8

9. Standpoint theory –Different knowledges of the world, all incomplete –Some groups have “better” knowledge than others Subordinate must know dominant Dominant doesn’t want to know.. –It is worth our while to understand the perspectives of disadvantaged groups… 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 9

10. “Class” as culture? 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 10

11. 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 11 Historical Contexts What are some key historical contexts that have influenced African American values and communication style? –Slavery Western Africa Central Africa –Institutional racism Segregation (de facto & de jure) Jim Crow laws Discrimination (continued)

12. 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 12 Social Institutions: How do these institutions shape African American experience? Church Family Connections to Heritage Africanisms Afrocentrism Cultural artifacts Music Dance, etc.

13. Racial Differences in Communication A deeper look: Values Some African American Values –Community –Authenticity –Personal Expression –Goal accomplishment (mutual social support) –Acceptance/Equality (Johnson, 2002; Hecht, Ribeau, & Jackson, 2003)

14. 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 14 Questions on themes How do you see these played out in African American culture? How might they lead to miscommunication when used with Whites? How do they relate to historical, social, economic contexts of Blacks in America?

15. 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 15 Influence on all of American Culture “The more that cross-over occurs, the more every person who is not African American becomes increasingly African American; this is the course of cultures in contact” (Johnson, 1992, p. 121)

16. 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 16 AAVE What is it? Why be aware of it? Who uses it? Is it growing or receding? Why does it exist? –“Deficiency” hypothesis –“Community” hypothesis –“Resistance” hypothesis

17. 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 17 Discourse Patterns Phonology (sounds) (pp. 141ff) –L-lessness: /toe/ v. /told/ –R-lessness: /fot/ v. /fort/ –Weakening of final consonants: /res/ v. /rest/ –Substitution of voiceless /th/: /dere/ v. /there/ –-ang/-ing substitution –/-ks/ substitution for /-sk/: axxe –/gon/ for ‘going to’: /she was gon go home/

18. 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 18 Discourse Patterns Semantic: –Crossovers –Different feeling based on speaker? Syntactic (grammatical structure): –Habitual “be/bees” –Remote time “been” –Absence of “be” copula –“Done” constructions –Unmarked plurality –Unmarked past tense –Zero 3 rd -person singular: She run… –Multiple negation

19. 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 19 Modes of (Pragmatic) Discourse Indirection (form of criticism) Emphatic language routines: Woofin’, signifying, braggadocio The “dozens,” dissin’, talking trash Call response (sermonic form) Tonal semantics Narrative story style (experience as logic) Rap (and “rappin’”) Women’s discourse Dissimulation

20. 8/9/2015copyright 2006 www.brainybetty.com; All Rights Reserved. 20 Implications Have you seen any of these forms reflected in your own conversations with those of different races? How might some of the issues surrounding African American values and communication relate to other marginalized groups in America?

21. Racial Differences in Communication Race > Black/White Some cultural differences –Conflict styles –Directness (Kochman) –Eye contact –Space & touch –Questions (Shuter)

22. What happens in “intercultural” interaction? Disconnect in values and, thus, in communication Attribution (based on own view) A model of conflict in the workplace Adjusting... And misadjusting! Code-Switching Hyperexplanation (Gallois et al., 2005; Waters, 1992)

23. Communication Accommodation Theory Accommodation: Convergence Divergence Maintenance Channels V/NV/Paralanguage Factors Goals Social structure Abilities Norms

24. Communication Accommodation Theory Accommodation: Adaptors Expressiveness Interruptions Smiles Attributions? (Booth-Butterfield & Jordan, 1990; Houston, 2003 )

25. Luster25 Research: Results & Implications (Booth-Butterfield & Jordan, 1989) Results: Behaviors by Race & Group Composition HomogenousHeterogeneous BlackWhiteBlackWhite Smiling46.725.7828.747.33 Adaptors6.69.895.39.11 Interrupt5.41.782.31.55 Expressive11.868.8610.439.22

26. Co-Cultural Theory: IR Comm & Power SeparationAccommodationAssimilation Nonassertive Avoiding Maintaining interpersonal barriers Increasing visibility Dispelling stereotypes Emphasizing commonalities Averting controversy Assertive Intragroup networking Exemplifying strengths Using liaisons Educating others Extensive preparation Overcompensating Aggressive Attacking Sabotaging Confronting Gaining advantage Mirroring Strategic Distancing M. P. Orbe, M. P. (1998) Constructing co-cultural theory: An explication of culture, power, and communication. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

27. Co-Cultural Theory: IR Comm & Power Six “universal influences” –Preferred outcomes (identity goals) –Communication orientation –Field of experience –Situational context –Perceived costs and rewards –Abilities M. P. Orbe, M. P. (1998) Constructing co-cultural theory: An explication of culture, power, and communication. Thousand Oaks: Sage.