Levon, Erez, Sharma, Devyani, Watt, Dominic J. L., Cardoso, Amanda and Ye, Yang ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7142-3869 (2021) Accent bias and perceptions of professional competence in England. Journal of English Linguistics, 49 (4). pp. 355-388. ISSN 0075-4242 (Print), 1552-5457 (Online) (doi:10.1177/00754242211046316)

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Abstract

Unequal outcomes in professional hiring for individuals from less privileged backgrounds have been widely reported in England. Although accent is one of the most salient signals of such a background, its role in unequal professional outcomes remains underexamined. This paper reports on a large-scale study of contemporary attitudes to accents in England. A large representative sample (N = 848) of the population in England judged the interview performance and perceived hirability of “candidates” for a trainee solicitor position at a corporate law firm. Candidates were native speakers of one of five English accents stratified by region, ethnicity, and class. The results suggest persistent patterns of bias against certain accents in England, particularly Southern working-class varieties, though moderated by factors such as listener age, content of speech, and listeners’ psychological predispositions. We discuss the role that the observed bias may play in perpetuating social inequality in England and encourage further research on the relationship between accent and social mobility.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Reuse is restricted to non-commercial and no derivative uses. - MP
Uncontrolled Keywords:	accents, bias, language attitudes, England, social mobility, sociolinguistics
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics P Language and Literature > PE English
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Inequalities Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Last Modified:	06 Nov 2024 16:27
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/37482

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