Book

Language shift and the redefinition of social boundaries among the Caribs of Belize

University Microfilms InternationalAnn Arbor, Mich. • Published In 1989 • Pages:

By: Wright, Pamela Ann.

Abstract
This is a detailed study of the language shift process among the Garifuna of Belize. Language shift, according to the author, is the '...intergenerational phenomenon in which children extend the language associated with power in their social context into their family by not using the traditional Arawakan language of their family but Belizean English', a language they associate with the prevalent power structure of the society (p. iv). With the increasing entry of the Garifuna into public sector labor where Belizean English is frequently used, a new class of intellectuals seems to be evolving. The people of this class use their educational training to redirect public consciousness toward the goal of attaining national identity. In the five chapters constituting the major portion of this source, Wright examines Garifuna identity, culture history, labor structure, class distinctions, and the evolution of ethnic consciousness through ritual and literature, as contributing factors in the development of this national identity
Subjects
Research methods
Theoretical orientation in research and its results
Speech
Linguistic identification
History
Labor supply and employment
Education system
Vocabulary
culture
Garifuna
HRAF PubDate
2005
Region
Middle America and the Caribbean
Sub Region
Central America
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Types
Ethnologist
Linguist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 1989-1991
Field Date
1982-1983
Coverage Date
1982-1983
Coverage Place
Dangriga and Numada, Belize
Notes
[by] Pamela Ann Wright
UM8614715
Includes bibliographical references (p. 423-459)
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- New York, City University of New York, 1986
LCSH
Garifuna (Caribbean people)