The Cultural Politics of Accent: English Linguistic Norms and Social Hierarchy among South Korean Parents

• 발행기관: Asian Qualitative Inquiry Association
• 저자명: Jung-Hoon Jung Yeosun Yun Dongsun Kim
• 간행물 정보: 『Asian Qualitative Inquiry Journal』Vol.4 No.1, 41~52쪽, 전체 12쪽
• 주제분류: 복합학 > 학제간연구
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2025.06.30

국문 초록

This study explores the cultural politics surrounding English pronunciation standards among middle-class South Korean parents, highlighting how these standards shape social hierarchies, linguistic identities, and emotional experiences. Through qualitative interviews and critical discourse analysis, the research uncovers parents' deep-seated preferences for native-like American or British accents, reflecting historical, cultural, and socio-economic ideologies. Pronunciation stand-ards function as symbolic capital, reinforcing class distinctions and prompting significant emotional costs, including anxiety and stress. Additionally, subtle raciolinguistic ideologies were identified, revealing implicit racial and cultural biases under-pinning parental preferences for English tutors. These linguistic norms perpetuate exclusionary practices, marginalizing non-Western English varieties and reinforcing socio-economic inequalities. The findings underscore the necessity for ed-ucational policies to prioritize communicative competence over rigid accent ideals, promoting linguistic inclusivity and chal-lenging the symbolic violence inherent in current linguistic norms. Future research directions are suggested, focusing on identity formation and comparative studies across different socio-economic contexts.

목차

Introduction

Theoretical background and literature review

Methods

The cultural politics of English linguistic norms among South Korean parents

Conclusion

키워드

English pronunciation linguistic ideologies symbolic capital social hierarchy raciolinguistic ideologies