Rural and urban dialect perceptions of Kentucky high schoolers

This research focuses on the previously unstudied dialect perceptions of Kentucky urban high schoolers as it relates to their rural peers. Focus groups and questionnaires were used to collect data with a grounded theory method being employed to analyze data. Students were asked their perceptions of...

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Main Author: Fridy, E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Royal St. George's College 2019-08-01
Series:The Young Researcher
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.theyoungresearcher.com/papers/fridy.pdf
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author Fridy, E.
author_facet Fridy, E.
author_sort Fridy, E.
collection DOAJ
description This research focuses on the previously unstudied dialect perceptions of Kentucky urban high schoolers as it relates to their rural peers. Focus groups and questionnaires were used to collect data with a grounded theory method being employed to analyze data. Students were asked their perceptions of topics relating to regional identity, linguistic variation, and prejudices, as well as how they, as a younger generation, view language and identity. The purpose of this research was to identify trends in urban high schoolers’ perceptions of their rural peers. The research found many students held prejudices against rural students, and although they recognized the prejudices, they believed them to be true. The research further concluded that Louisville high schoolers perceive Louisville is a separate cultural and dialectal entity from rural Kentucky, and that rural Kentuckians are more likely than Louisvillians to be uneducated, ignorant, and impoverished. Furthermore, urban students think that rural Kentuckians have an overall negative view of Louisvillians, especially African Americans, stemming from a lack of communication and a difference in political and social values. These findings clearly point to the fact that urban students have negative views of rural citizens, and that Kentucky needs to address systematic social division within the state between urban and rural citizens, especially students.
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spelling doaj-art-7b73e8a90a104d6e93be98039738d7642025-08-20T01:48:07ZengRoyal St. George's CollegeThe Young Researcher2560-98232560-98232019-08-01315059Rural and urban dialect perceptions of Kentucky high schoolersFridy, E.This research focuses on the previously unstudied dialect perceptions of Kentucky urban high schoolers as it relates to their rural peers. Focus groups and questionnaires were used to collect data with a grounded theory method being employed to analyze data. Students were asked their perceptions of topics relating to regional identity, linguistic variation, and prejudices, as well as how they, as a younger generation, view language and identity. The purpose of this research was to identify trends in urban high schoolers’ perceptions of their rural peers. The research found many students held prejudices against rural students, and although they recognized the prejudices, they believed them to be true. The research further concluded that Louisville high schoolers perceive Louisville is a separate cultural and dialectal entity from rural Kentucky, and that rural Kentuckians are more likely than Louisvillians to be uneducated, ignorant, and impoverished. Furthermore, urban students think that rural Kentuckians have an overall negative view of Louisvillians, especially African Americans, stemming from a lack of communication and a difference in political and social values. These findings clearly point to the fact that urban students have negative views of rural citizens, and that Kentucky needs to address systematic social division within the state between urban and rural citizens, especially students.http://www.theyoungresearcher.com/papers/fridy.pdfperceptual dialectologyKentucky studentsrural dialect perceptionurban dialect perceptionrural stereotypes
spellingShingle Fridy, E.
Rural and urban dialect perceptions of Kentucky high schoolers
The Young Researcher
perceptual dialectology
Kentucky students
rural dialect perception
urban dialect perception
rural stereotypes
title Rural and urban dialect perceptions of Kentucky high schoolers
title_full Rural and urban dialect perceptions of Kentucky high schoolers
title_fullStr Rural and urban dialect perceptions of Kentucky high schoolers
title_full_unstemmed Rural and urban dialect perceptions of Kentucky high schoolers
title_short Rural and urban dialect perceptions of Kentucky high schoolers
title_sort rural and urban dialect perceptions of kentucky high schoolers
topic perceptual dialectology
Kentucky students
rural dialect perception
urban dialect perception
rural stereotypes
url http://www.theyoungresearcher.com/papers/fridy.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT fridye ruralandurbandialectperceptionsofkentuckyhighschoolers