Language and Social Identity
The individual creates for himself the patterns of his linguistic behavior so as to resemble those of the group or groups with which from time to time he wishes to be identified, or so as to be unlike those from whom he wishes to be distinguished. (181)
- Conditions:
- 1) We can identify the group
- 2) We have both adequate access to the groups and ability to analyze their behavioral patterns.
- 3) The motivation to join the groups is sufficiently powerful, and is either reinforced or reversed by feedback from the groups.
- 4) We have the ability to modify our behavior. (182)
(Le Page, R.B. and Andrée Tabouret-Keller, Acts of Identity: Creole-Based Approaches to Language and Ethnicity.)