REACT – A constructivist theoretic framework for attitudes
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Christoph Purschke
Abstract
This text is devoted to a new theoretical framework for (language) attitudes (REACT) integrating both the traditional idea of attitudes as (more or less stable) cognitive assessment categories and the constructivist view on attitudes as situated evaluative practices. The text discusses five constitutive elements to the theory (Relevance, Evaluation, Activation, Construction, and Targeting) against the background of respective theories: a theory of actional relevance (cf. Schütz 1970), a listener judgment theory (cf. Purschke 2011), a model for cognitive activation (cf. Kroeber-Riel et al. 2009), a constructivist symbol theory (cf. Cassirer 1953–57 |1923–29|), and a model for attitude functions (cf. Katz 1960). The paper then concludes with proposing an integrative definition of attitudes as evaluation routines in social practices that conforms to the constructivist criticism of classic attitude theory, while at the same time taking account of the fundamental structuring patterns of social interaction that also determine the structure and dynamics of attitudes.
Abstract
This text is devoted to a new theoretical framework for (language) attitudes (REACT) integrating both the traditional idea of attitudes as (more or less stable) cognitive assessment categories and the constructivist view on attitudes as situated evaluative practices. The text discusses five constitutive elements to the theory (Relevance, Evaluation, Activation, Construction, and Targeting) against the background of respective theories: a theory of actional relevance (cf. Schütz 1970), a listener judgment theory (cf. Purschke 2011), a model for cognitive activation (cf. Kroeber-Riel et al. 2009), a constructivist symbol theory (cf. Cassirer 1953–57 |1923–29|), and a model for attitude functions (cf. Katz 1960). The paper then concludes with proposing an integrative definition of attitudes as evaluation routines in social practices that conforms to the constructivist criticism of classic attitude theory, while at the same time taking account of the fundamental structuring patterns of social interaction that also determine the structure and dynamics of attitudes.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
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Part 1: Theoretical Backgrounds
- Does language regard vary? 3
- REACT – A constructivist theoretic framework for attitudes 37
- Mixing methods in the study of language attitudes 55
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Part 2: Implicit and/or explicit? When are attitudes “authentic”?
- The primary relevance of subconsciously offered attitudes 87
- Applying the Implicit Association Test to language attitudes research 117
- Implicit attitudes and the perception of sociolinguistic variation 137
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Part 3: What factors awaken attitudes?
- Got class? Community-shared conceptualizations of social class in evaluative reactions to sociolinguistic variables 159
- Perceived foreign accent as a predicator of face-voice match 175
- Is Moroccan-flavoured Standard Dutch standard or not? On the use of perceptual criteria to determine the limits of standard languages 191
- Attitudes and language detail 219
- Topic Index 243
- Name Index 247
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
-
Part 1: Theoretical Backgrounds
- Does language regard vary? 3
- REACT – A constructivist theoretic framework for attitudes 37
- Mixing methods in the study of language attitudes 55
-
Part 2: Implicit and/or explicit? When are attitudes “authentic”?
- The primary relevance of subconsciously offered attitudes 87
- Applying the Implicit Association Test to language attitudes research 117
- Implicit attitudes and the perception of sociolinguistic variation 137
-
Part 3: What factors awaken attitudes?
- Got class? Community-shared conceptualizations of social class in evaluative reactions to sociolinguistic variables 159
- Perceived foreign accent as a predicator of face-voice match 175
- Is Moroccan-flavoured Standard Dutch standard or not? On the use of perceptual criteria to determine the limits of standard languages 191
- Attitudes and language detail 219
- Topic Index 243
- Name Index 247
