How do languages and names play a role in cultural perspectives and power?
It would be incredible and strange if every person in the world spoke the same language. That would take away diversity of thought, logic, and ideas. Languages and names play a role in cultural perspective through titles, accents, code-switching, and body language.
United. A simple word at first sight but complex to figure out and define. The United States of America. The United Kingdom. The Soviet Union. This word pulls us together as a society, gives us a zone in which it could be possible to feel some level of comfort. On a human level, it’s nice to be a part of something that gives you something simple in common with others, gives a set of shared values and places and ideals. It gives a society a limit and a set of rules, but a way of life as well. The simple word, almost seeming to have no use at all, directly affects each and every one of our lives. Even the United Nations, with 192 represented countries, gives most of the world something in common and a way for us to communicate with and understand other cultures.
In Chinese, China is ??, which means middle kingdom in direct translation. The United States of America sends a clear message about the values that the nation was built upon and the ones that are still valued to this day, such as freedom and democracy. The word Italy originally comes from the world Vitalia, which means land of cattle. This implies a direct relationship between the agrarian and food-based culture of Italy past, and partially Italy present. Although it is under debate, the word France could be from the Germanic word franca, defined as fierce or brave. There is a direct correlation between the country’s view of their own military power and the way they would like to be viewed. On the opposite side of the spectrum is Andorra, which is a smaller country whose name comes from a word in local language that means “shrub-covered land.” It is easy to see that their ideals might be different than a country like France or the United States.
People’s names have a strong effect on their likeliness to have a position of power or have a willful personality. People with simple names that are easy to pronounce are more likely to have a more powerful and influential position in the workplace. It’s easier to process for the human brain, which makes it more natural to be disposed towards. Names that are viewed as less unique are more likely to be hired by employers. Regardless of race, people with less common names are more likely to commit crimes and be regarded as juvenile delinquents. Studies have shown that people who have a whiter-sounding name like Emily Baker are more likely to be hired than people with ethnic-sounding names. A more Caucasian name can be worth as much as eight years of work experience. Names are an easy, lazy way to make quick judgements about other people as fast as seconds after meeting them. These judgements can be about anything from race, religion, socioeconomic background, and, in this case, strengths in the workplace.
A 2015 study performed by researchers in the United Kingdom and Germany aimed to prove that people in those relative countries discriminated against others with different accents within their own language set. They found that people are more likely to disagree with or not get along with someone with a stronger accent, especially one from which the accent is in a different region. People are less likely to be chosen for juries if they speak non-standard English, such as speaking with regional affects from the South or the Midwest. In the United States, other studies have been done to show the positives and the negatives to discrimination based on accent. While a politician might be able to take on a local accent to put the people of that area more at ease, people from certain regions could be discriminated against simply based on the way they pronounce certain words.
As humans, it’s difficult to get rid of the innate understanding that our own accent or language is to be more trusted than others. When studies were done with children under five years old, while they tended to favor photos of people from within their own race, when matched with accents, they preferred accents similar to their own, no matter the race. When children are inside the womb, they become accustomed to a certain number of voices, and that may affect them as they grow older. Ze Wang led a study that found that American people were more likely to trust British accents over Indian accents based simply on voices. People with Mexican or Greek accents were typically perceived as less intelligent than those who had American accents. People have a tendency to distrust people whose accents have backgrounds in minority or disadvantaged groups, although it may not be a conscious bias.
It might be impossible to notice if you don’t pay attention, but the idea of code-switching is very prevalent in modern culture. As students, you probably know that communicating with your peers is completely different than speaking with an adult. While the basic words themselves are the same, you may use curse words around friends your age or use contractions and slang, while, when talking with an adult, you might try to use more proper language, improve your posture, and speak clearly and concisely. People also consciously and unconsciously code-switch to better fit into social or work situations, especially with others from varying races and cultures. There are also linguistic gaps that can create barriers between people who speak varying languages, and code-switching can often help get the point across more meaningfully.
Other types of language also exist in an arena in which we can grasp a greater understanding of others without verbal communication. Body language is incredibly important to navigate social and emotional dynamics. We, as people, may choose our leaders based on strong body language rather than any verbiage. Politicians such as Angela Merkel are famous in ways connecting to their body language, as she uses her body language to communicate a sense of power and safety. People tend to gravitate towards those with stronger body language, and that can affect national as well as international relations.
The idea of universal language is interesting. A person from one country who grew up in a big city and went to private school and then university could listen to music and hear the exact same thing as someone across the world who grew up on a farm and was never educated past high school. The arts provide a bridge between nations and peoples who cannot necessarily communicate in other ways. Obviously, music varies greatly by region, but the idea that something can connect us with a person with whom we have absolutely nothing in common is incredible. Emotions can be carried through music, as, across the world, it’s been proven that we can innately understand whether a piece is communicating happiness or sadness. It’s the same way with paintings and photographs. No matter what language we speak, we, as humans, can understand emotions through the eyes of others and their imaginations as well as their documentation.
In conclusion, language and names relate to power through body language, names, titles, accents, and code switching. It’s weird to think about the fact that something as simple as a name or the way in which you speak can completely affect your life.
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Lucy Van der Reis is a high school student with a passion for writing, language, and the study of foreign relations.
Photo: Einar H. Reynis
