or maybe it's backwards


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Posted by RJones2125 at s77-106.resnet.ucla.edu on December 09, 2003 at 23:22:53:

In Reply to: My take on Ebonics: posted by Slavei on December 09, 2003 at 23:01:18:

I took a linguistic anthropology class and I heard that most metalinguistic studies say that African American English is as unique and justifiable as any "traditional" language. This post is in response to the fact that you use the word "ebonics." Ebonics is just African American Language. It's defined by accent and subject matter and on rare occasions wordchoice and diction. The slang that has become synonymous is not exactly ebonics in the definition of the word and is less about cultural identity. Examples like "Snoop Dogg Speech" are a newer phenomenon and cannot be so easily classified. That's about as indepth as I'm willing to go.

Can you tell I have my Anthropology: Culture & Communications Final Exam tomorrow?

: I can understand the black culture wanting something of their own since almost everything has been predominantly white in this country. They want to separate themselves from the white culture in a form of self-empowerment, and that's understandable.

: What I don't understand is how can a language of slang - which is basically bad grammar & made-up words - self-empowering? Using terms like "queer" by homosexuals amongst themselves or the "n word" by blacks (sorry but I won't say "African-American" since not everyone I'd be referring to is American or African) is empowering. Saying '50 Cent' instead of '50 CentS' is just bad grammar. Saying something like 'fashizzle' sounds just plain ridiculous. None of that is 'cool' at all.

: If I wanted to empower myself, I wouldn't do things that would be the subject of ridicule or make people think I dropped out of school in the 3rd grade. I'd want to show others I have a brain.

: But it seems these days - no matter what color you are - it's cool to be a 'slacker' in attitude or dress. *Sigh*




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