Language and Societies abstracts, vol. 15 (2024)

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Language, Cognition, and Hallucination: How Reddit Posts Offer Insight into the Social Realities of Life with Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder

Language, Cognition, and Hallucination: How Reddit Posts Offer Insight into the Social Realities of Life with Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder

Karsten Allendorfer

This study delves into the nuanced implications of linguistic expression and its impact on the diagnosis and stigmatization of Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD), an illness in which the once-intended psychoactive effects of hallucinogenic substances continue to affect an individual’s perception after the drug’s physical effects have worn off. Utilizing discourse analysis of personal narratives from the r/HPPD Reddit community, this study uncovers the inadequacies of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’ current diagnostic criteria in addressing the multifaceted perceptual nature of HPPD, revealing a broader spectrum of symptoms than currently recognized and highlighting the negative implications for affected individuals. This research positions the complexity of HPPD’s symptomatic language as both a diagnostic tool and a barrier to genuine understanding within the biomedical framework. The findings suggest the need for a revised diagnostic approach that encourages the adoption of the terminology used by individuals to describe their experience with HPPD, aligning clinical terminology with patient-reported symptoms. Finally, this study contributes to recent conversations concerning the potential of patient-led online communities in informing and enriching clinical understandings of health and illness.

Can multilingual singers’ ability to sing bilingually be affected by their indigenous tongue?

Can multilingual singers’ ability to sing bilingually be affected by their indigenous tongue?

Ehimare Arhebamen

Singers have always been people with the most melodious voices and can reach various ranges that most people do not normally have access to. They train to sing for many, many years to attain mastery of their voice and their vocal range. Some of the best singers can sing in more than one language because of their affinity for language and vocality due to how their brain is structured compared to non-professional singers. The ability of multilingual singers to speak and understand languages is interesting about how their brains work and what parts of their brain process language and vocality. What this paper hopes to accomplish is to see how multilingual singers’ ability to sing bilingually and vocalize is affected by their origin culture and what aspects of their singing voices are changed because of these situations. There are singers who sing songs in other languages and that are influenced by their original indigenous language. Something that will be studied in this paper and that can be studied at a later date is whether the singers’ songs being sung in the non-indigenous language or just their non-indigenous speaking ability have any influence on any songs sung in the indigenous language.

The Historical and Analytic Origin Story of Japanese Writing

The Historical and Analytic Origin Story of Japanese Writing

Joy Barksdale

Japanese society, according to archaeological findings, is nearly 40,000 years old before it changed and evolved into what it is now, and the earliest ‘written artifacts found in the Japanese archipelago date back to the first century BCE or so’ (Lurie,2011). The Japanese writing took time to evolve and become what it is now in modern times. Japanese writing has undergone a complex historical trajectory shaped by indigenous influences, Chinese importation, and modern reforms, ultimately reflecting the unique cultural identity and linguistic diversity of Japan. This paper explores the impact of Chinese cultural and linguistic hegemony on Japanese writing, while also highlighting the creative adaptations and innovations that have led to the emergence of uniquely Japanese literary traditions. Additionally, there are meticulous analyses of historical documents, linguistic studies, and socio-cultural contexts, and the interplay between indigenous scripts, such as kanji, and imported Chinese characters, or hanzi, in shaping Japan’s writing system. Furthermore, this paper examines the modernization efforts of the Meiji Restoration and subsequent language reforms, which sought to streamline and standardize Japanese writing. It discusses the role of technological advancements, such as printing presses and digital computing, in further shaping the evolution of Japanese writing in the contemporary era. Through a comprehensive exploration of historical sources, linguistic theories, and cultural contexts, this is a valuable insight into the rich tapestry of Japanese writing, shedding light on its historical roots, linguistic complexities, and enduring cultural significance.

An Analytic Comparison of Two Debates on Fanon versus Canon

An Analytic Comparison of Two Debates on Fanon versus Canon

Angela Boyd

There have been quite a few debates between fans and fandoms that have grown so big that they spill over into the general public, debates that seem to rip the fandoms apart and draw clear divides between fans. Team Edward vs Team Jacob in Twilight or the Shipping Wars of Harry Potter, or even whether or not something is Canon vs Fanon. Some literature on the topic of Fans and Fandoms claim that these debates are far more negative and competitive than they are positive and co-operative. The goal of this paper is to determine whether debates among fandoms and fans were primarily negative or positive by analyzing two debates on the same topic of Canon vs Fanon in two separate fan communities on the website Reddit. The analysis used the types of arguments being presented, the type of argumentation, pragmatic ambiguity and the affective stance. Subsequently my findings show that the discourse between fans is largely positive and co-operative by sharing knowledge and expertise of the specific fandoms in question.

Animals, babies, friends: Examining human-dog communication and its implications for understanding what it means to be family

Animals, babies, friends: Examining human-dog communication and its implications for understanding what it means to be family

Jayme Brown

Human-dog communication is a popular topic for researchers due to the ubiquitous nature of domestic dogs in global society. Infant-directed speech, commonly known as baby talk and used by parents to speak to their children, has been repurposed by pet parents to talk to their dogs in a related pattern known as pet-directed, or dog-directed speech. The dog-directed speech register, characterized by repetitive and high-pitched combinations of sounds, words, and questions has been used to build and reinforce familial bonds between dogs and humans. Using existing literature, various multi-media, casual interviews, and observation, this paper specifically illustrates how an increase in the production of dog-directed speech indicates stronger family ties between humans and their dogs. The use of dog-directed speech during interactions such as play, greeting, reuniting, and togetherness provided a clear correlation with humans’ inclusion of dogs as family, compared to not speaking in this manner. It was also determined that women engage with their dogs using dog-directed speech more often than men, while also treating their dogs like children. Formal studies provided conclusive evidence of dogs’ responsiveness and aptness to display affectionate behaviors when being spoken to in dog-directed speech and showed clear preferences in speech types used by men and women. However, future research should consider ethnographic approaches such as observing dogs and their humans together in natural settings to provide greater insights into the formulation and sustainability of human-dog kinship.

American Prisoners and their Linguistic Freedoms: Use of Metaphors to Survive

American Prisoners and their Linguistic Freedoms: Use of Metaphors to Survive

Adam Conigliaro

American prisoners are notably exceptional with their use of metaphors as a function for anti-language. However, because there is an inverse trend in metaphor comprehension and signs of impulsivity, we cannot fully conclude that metaphors strictly serve as an anti-language within the prisoner’s lexicon. Looking at the American Prisoner Writing Archive, an internet-based archive hosted through John Hopkins University, metaphor utilization in incarcerated people’s writings indicates emotional capacity to confront tough problems.  This supports the idea that prisoners are more likely to be reformed when they can comprehend metaphors and use them in their writings. In this paper, a report on how many times phrases were selected for metaphor use, which phrases were used, and a semantic analysis on how they were used is given to the reader. Utilizing basic dehumanizing metaphors, such as “monster”, “pig,” and, “rat”, we can see trends in which referential meaning is to be interpreted as lexical narrowing. By being able to narrow elusive phenomena, an American prisoner is then able to appropriately assign a referent to address within their mental capacity. Metaphor-use trends within the American prison population suggest that this principle is common within any prison population. Thus, it supports the reasons why language facilitation should be hosted within federal and state institutions.

Decoding Migrant Hieroglyphics or Drifter Language: An Anthropological Analysis

Decoding Migrant Hieroglyphics or Drifter Language: An Anthropological Analysis

Patrick L. Dear

The Migrant Code (or “Hobo Code” or “Hobo Alphabet”) has reportedly been around since the 1860s; however, there are many other factors that should be considered—such as its history, evolutionary components, symbolism, and legitimacy. The “Code” was an alleged use of symbols by homeless people who illegally hopped rides on freight cars and trains leaving markers on their journeys for their fellow homeless person to ascertain safe passage. The idea that such a use of symbols may have been utilized during the Industrial Age may propose various other questions. Were symbols such as “The Hobo Code” used? Are these codes still being used today? Has the use of symbols evolved? This also raises many other questions—as media in the past and present somehow glorify these “hobo glyphs”—and in some cases, have also found its way in modern art, such as body modification (tattoos) and graffiti. This paper intends to uncover the conceptions and implementations, as well as observe the influence of culture in the United States as well as other countries. Materials that are used have been collected by The Library of Congress and also various websites that account for the history of these symbols.

Creating Calm: Cold War Era Public Messaging from the Civil Defense Agency

Creating Calm: Cold War Era Public Messaging from the Civil Defense Agency

Brittney Eastin

The Civil Defense Agency was the government entity responsible for distributing information on protecting oneself in the event of a nuclear attack. Looking primarily at publications by the Detroit Civil Defense Agency, one can tell that there was an urgency to keep the population calm and limitedly informed. Other sources from released federal documents and internal correspondence also suggest that information was distributed cautiously. Efforts to create a sense of control, power, and security can be seen in conflicting information between internal correspondence, CDA, and DCDA publications. The messaging to the public involved false equivalences, comparing potential bombs to less severe nuclear disasters, survival rates rooted in flawed comparisons, and poor information on survival outside of the short-term effects. Information on nuclear bombs was still in development, but federal documents now released to the public show that some negative long-term effects were known at the time. Controlled dissemination of information was likely done to prevent panic among citizens and create a sensation of confidence in one’s government’s capacity of protection.

Multimodality as a form of developing literacy in children’s museums

Multimodality as a form of developing literacy in children’s museums

Aleah N. Edwards 

Children’s museums are informal learning environments. In recent years, there has been an increase in “hands-on,” multimodal, or multisensory exhibits. These exhibits allow museum patrons to interact with the museum’s content in unique ways and facilitate literacy and language acquisition by allowing the patron to play and explore. This paper reviews literature to examine how multimodal design encourages engagement and learning in the museum setting. Many topics will be discussed in relation to multimodal design including literacy, play, serious games, and interactions. Some aspects of multimodality are brought into the museum by patrons, such as translanguaging. Translanguaging is seen in museums when multilingual families flow between languages to best communicate with one another or describe things more fully. Multimodality, as well as translanguaging, can allow for an exhibit to provide a chance for knowledge scaffolding to occur. This is because both multimodality and translanguaging give an individual the ability to use past knowledge to confront a new problem. Multimodal exhibits create a learning environment that encourages novel experiences, which promotes lasting knowledge.

The Social Context of the Development of the Proto-Canaanite/Proto-Sinaitic Alphabet from Egyptian Ancestors

The Social Context of the Development of the Proto-Canaanite/Proto-Sinaitic Alphabet from Egyptian Ancestors 

Dustin Elias

This paper’s goal is to answer the question, “in what social context did the early Proto-Sinaitic/Proto-Canaanite alphabet develop out of Egyptian ancestors?” What this means is looking at how the language of the Canaanite/Sinaitic people develop out of Egyptian ancestors by looking at the factors of culture, social relationships, power dynamic, and specific communication situations. This is because it’s obvious that early Proto-Sinaitic/Proto-Canaanite alphabet develop out of Egyptian ancestors. But what people usually don’t talk about is the social interactions that lead to this development, which is the most important detail when studying language development. Throughout this paper, I will give my own insights on the social context that resulted in this transformation. This will be done by analyzing different literature and literature reviews from anthropologists who had theorized about this social context and giving an interpretation of what each author is saying. Each article that is analyzed was going over archaeological findings from sites in the Sinai Peninsula of modern-day Egypt and modern-day coastal Syria and Israel/Palestine that relate to the Canaanite/Sinaitic alphabet, such as inscriptions on clay tablets and sphinxes. After analyzing each article, I realized that the different social contexts all have the same general feature. This was the use of multi-linguistic assimilated Canaanites, who had their native words for Egyptian ideas and took from other languages, either through trade, immigrants, or invaders, to develop proto-Canaanite/Sinaitic alphabet, by ancient Egypt to control the lands of Canaan, which took place at religious temples that served as centers of cultural and diplomatic meetings. And by doing this research, I hope to encourage others to look at the little steps of language development during the Bronze Age more extensively, because the development of the early Proto-Sinaitic/Proto-Canaanite alphabet out of Egyptian ancestors is more complex and detailed than one might realize.

Limited Sovereigns: An Analysis of the US Federal Government’s Actions Towards Indigenous Sovereignty Through a Rhetorical Imperialistic Lens

Limited Sovereigns: An Analysis of the US Federal Government’s Actions Towards Indigenous Sovereignty Through a Rhetorical Imperialistic Lens

Yoel Gonzalez

Rhetorical imperialism is defined by Scott Richard Lyons as “the ability of dominant powers to assert control of others by setting the terms of the debate,” a process that is enacted heavily and repeatedly by the US federal government when in “debates” with Indigenous peoples. This paper analyzes actions taken against Indigenous nations to see how their inherent sovereignty is limited and changed. Supreme Court cases and federal laws were linguistically analyzed to see how Indigenous sovereignty and peoples were being defined and redefined. Additionally, a literature review of anthropological, legal, and linguistic sources was also done to gather more information and evidence regarding the issue. In such “debates” held with the government, Indigenous nations are defined in dichotomous ways which influences how they outwardly express their sovereignty. By simultaneously being the “other” and being like a dominating power, Indigenous nations are constantly in a battle to express their inherent powers and their own identities, a battle that was ignited through various federal actions that mark them as nations within a nation. Further inquiries into this topic may address the role that indigeneity plays within sovereignty, of how such concepts become part of individual identities, and how reclamations of Indigenous languages effect expressions of sovereignty.

Entovegan: Evaluating the Potential Hopping Success or Bust in the Discourse of Foodways

Entovegan: Evaluating the Potential Hopping Success or Bust in the Discourse of Foodways

Julie Julison

This paper examines through discourse analysis the perceptions of vegetarians and vegans on the consumption of edible insects being added into their diets by observing the type of word choice, and tone of the verbiage being presented within recorded interviews and written materials to determine if insects could be on the proverbial menu. The research investigates peer-reviewed literature on topics that constitute the majority of fundamental reasons vegetarians and vegans choose the lifestyle that they do, and how edible insects could fit into this ideology. These include conscious food choices to refrain from eating meat products due to the unsustainability of large-scale industrial factory farming; those who oppose any type of cruelty to animals; or those who are looking for healthier alternatives for their bodies. Each distinct situation is evaluated contextually to provide an alternative on how edible insects would fulfill this niche while not allowing vegetarians and vegans to compromise any of their values or beliefs. In addition, a common theme that repeats over and over for vegetarians, vegans, and those who engage in entomophagy is a constant and continually negative judgment of the lifestyle choices that each chooses by the dominant group of omnivore consumers.

Historic Horsepower: A Linguistic Analysis of Horses in Detroit

Historic Horsepower: A Linguistic Analysis of Horses in Detroit

Brianna LeBlanc

In the historical landscape of 20th-century Detroit, the local papers became a focal point for conversation regarding the “end of the horse.” In the 1800s, horses played a pivotal role in Detroit’s development, serving as partners in transportation, agriculture, and industry. During the 19th century, horses powered carriages, delivered goods, and facilitated the growth of commerce. However, as an alternative “horsepower” emerged in the 20th century, gasoline automobiles posed a challenge to infrastructure, the workforce, and cultural tradition. Soon after this disruption in ideals, they replaced the horse entirely. This paper seeks to understand how Detroit’s residents perceived horses over time, examining the language used in local newspapers. In this context, this research aims to illustrate the evolving timeline of the horse as a living machine, a vulnerable animal, a nuisance, and finally, a technology of the past. The language choices used by the public and city officials are therefore representative of the city’s desire or lack thereof to fully transition from equine reliance to a modern technological advancement.

Will Subtitles Suffice? An Exploration of Spanish to English T/V Pronoun Translation in Modern Television

Will Subtitles Suffice? An Exploration of Spanish to English T/V Pronoun Translation in Modern Television

Gabriela Lloyd Pérez

The T/V distinction refers to the grammatical differentiation between formal and informal second-person pronouns, a linguistic feature absent in modern English. In the realm of language translation, there are various strategies aimed at conveying the semantic nuances of directly untranslatable terms. However, the inherent confinement of television subtitles to written text poses limitations to these strategies, offering a distinctive challenge in accurately capturing the full meaning of original dialogue. This article examines various translated subtitles from a T/V distinctive language to a non-T/V distinctive language and investigates whether certain semantic and cultural nuances are compromised in the translation process. By analyzing the historical evolution of pronominal address and contemporary linguistic conventions of (in)formality in both English and Paisa Spanish (the principal dialect spoken in Medellín, Colombia), the study lays a foundation for understanding the semantic complexity confronting translators. Additionally, through the analysis of Paisa dialogue excerpts and their subtitled translations from two popular Colombian television series, the study demonstrates various intricacies involved in translating Spanish T/V pronouns to English. The results of this study indicate that, as subtitling strategies currently stand, restricted to the realm of text, certain semantic and cultural nuances of T/V distinctive pronouns in Spanish may be lost when translated to English.

Less is more: Argumentation for preserving disabled workers’ subminimum pay

Less is more: Argumentation for preserving disabled workers’ subminimum pay

Kellan McNally

This study considered the argument for protecting the use of disabled workers’ subminimum pay. Through qualitative analysis of legislative hearings, patterns in the content and delivery of opposition testimonies were identified. Data included 30 recorded testimonies collected from 8 public hearings in 7 states between 2016 and 2023. By joining narrative frameworks from policy process and anthropological research, the common argument and approach to argumentation of policy opponents was identified. In their testimonies, these speakers warned that ending subminimum wages would financially ruin those businesses, known as 14(c) programs, where disabled workers were employed. In addition to challenging depictions of these operations as exploitative, opponents defended subminimum wages as a critical mechanism for retaining disabled workers with the highest service needs. Speakers defended the right of workers to choose jobs in congregant settings where wage adjustments allowed them to stay employed. Opponents made these points by calling attention to the non-monetary value of work and by distinguishing 14(c) employees as a special class of disabled workers with such extreme needs that their integration in competitive worksites was impossible. Through displays of disabled disfluency, opponents presented 14(c) workers as unable to self-advocate, authorizing themselves, as family members and employers with first-hand knowledge, to represent the actual abilities of these disabled workers. These findings increase understandings of policy discourse at a time when federal legislators are expected to outlaw the use of subminimum wages and expand services that will further integrate disabled workers into jobs offering competitive pay.

Keywords: disability employment, subminimum wages, work value, narrative policy analysis, legislative testimony, self-advocacy

Welcome to Mogwarts: The Language of Looksmaxxing

Welcome to Mogwarts: The Language of Looksmaxxing

Kayleigh Reimueller

Over the past few years, as social media dominates our world, the manosphere and incel communities have had a strong presence within the linguistic and anthropological fields of research due to the unique language and communicative practices used among members. Within the manosphere, the looksmaxxing subcommunity has recently reached peak popularity on social media sites. Looksmaxxing is a broad term that describes the process of bettering oneself, typically physical appearance, to maximize one’s potential and appear more desirable to others. How does the looksmaxxers’ community-specific language contribute to forming a distinct subculture and how do looksmaxxing community members use this language to negotiate their identities? Why is it important for outside audiences to understand this language and its function? Drawing on past scholarly data on the manosphere and the looksmaxxing community as well as primary data from social media sites like TikTok and YouTube and looksmaxxing-specific open forum sites, this paper seeks to answer these questions. The language created within the looksmaxxing community allows for exclusivity to be felt among the members where individuals can bond and commiserate with others who feel ostracized by the majority of society. By analyzing and recognizing this language and its function as an outsider, one can better understand groups in the manosphere and how previously undefined or misunderstood words can mean something much different to insiders of a community.

Pets or Pests? How Linguistic Terminology and Discourse Affects the Perception of American Mustangs

Pets or Pests? How Linguistic Terminology and Discourse Affects the Perception of American Mustangs

Ana Saenz

Throughout the history of the United States, there have been many icons that the American public have chosen to represent the ideal symbol of freedom. This paper recognizes the animal that was chosen for this representation of freedom, or lack thereof, as the American Mustang and their connection to the American people, with respect to the many different experiences shared in the United States. The history of using Mustangs as a symbol of freedom is associated with thought of as being wild, majestic creatures that have wide open spaces to run, and representing the “American Dream,” of having unlimited opportunities. This paper examines the positives and negatives of online terminology that is used to understand how the public views the American Mustang and analyzes the discourse used from public online forums and transcripts. The focus of this research is to understand the fluidity of terms in the (American English) language that the public uses to describe how others may believe the Mustang to be a pet or a pest, and how specific terms affect the overall perception of the animal. The intention of this paper is to attempt at investigating different solutions that have consistent language use, regarding multispecies interrelationships between the American Mustangs and the American public.

Examining the United States’ Role in the Turkish Incursion into Kurdish Territories in Rojava in 2019: A Critical Discourse Analysis Study

Examining the United States’ Role in the Turkish Incursion into Kurdish Territories in Rojava in 2019: A Critical Discourse Analysis Study

Niyaz Najm Salih

The Kurds always say, “No friends but the mountains!” Unfortunately, this famous Kurdish saying has been proven right numerous times as Kurds have always been abandoned in difficult times by their friends and allies. This paper highlights a significant instance of such abandonment: the withdrawal of the US troops from Rojava in 2019. While the Kurds were actively engaged in combating ISIS on behalf of the international community, they found out on Twitter that former President Trump, following a phone call with Turkish President Erdogan, had not only ordered the withdrawal of US troops from Kurdish territories in Rojava but had effectively greenlit Turkey’s incursion into the region. This decision precipitated war crimes and ethnic cleansing against the Kurdish population. This paper utilizes critical discourse analysis, Fairclough’s Three-Dimensional Framework, to examine the role of the United States in Turkey’s incursion into Kurdish territories in Rojava, drawing upon a variety of sources including TV documentaries, news reports, interviews, articles, and statements from high-profile U.S. officials and former President Trump himself. The study builds upon a substantial body of existing research literature concerning the history of the Kurds over the past century, the Kurdish-Turkish conflict, and Turkey’s geopolitical interests in the Rojava region. This literature not only provides crucial context for comprehending Turkey’s motivations for incursions into Kurdish territories but also sheds light on the broader socio-political dynamics at play.  By shedding light on the consequences of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Rojava on the Kurdish population in the region and its impact on the fight against ISIS and the destabilization of the Middle East region, the study paves the path for the reader to track the bilateral consequences more. The bibliography is meticulously curated to provide readers with ample resources for further exploration, encouraging additional research and follow-ups in this complex field.

Serving Cunt: An Ethnographic Analysis of Online Queer Profanity Use

Serving Cunt: An Ethnographic Analysis of Online Queer Profanity Use

Cheyenne Taylor

To examine the social importance of swearing amongst queer women, an ethnographic study was completed on the use of words “bitch”, “cunt”, and their derivatives (i.e. “bitchy”, “cunty”, etc.) in social media forums Instagram and X by members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Erving Goffman’s social performativity, Kathryn Remlinger’s linguistic indexicality, and Jonathan Lidbäck’s propositional swearing, coupled with historical and social analysis of profanity and online queer community inclusion, were used to analyze social media posts. Only instances of non-derogatory profanity use were considered in the study – these non-derogatory instances of obscene language were used to index members of the queer community as such. This indexicality fostered a sense of community inclusion, as well as creating a sense of comfort and safety for members. As words typically used to demean women, ‘bitch’ and ‘cunt’ were reclaimed by queer women in a performance of self-empowerment and an identity based on their queerness. Their intentional use of marked taboo language announces their comfort in breaking social norms as queer women who swear.