Towards a social justice framework for marginalized linguistic communities
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Rey Romero
Abstract
In this concluding chapter, all the authors of this volume have collaborated to highlight key reflections on their experiences as researchers of Afro- Hispanic varieties. We argue that descriptive linguistics is no longer enough, and that linguistics in the XXI century must now become a tool to empower linguistic groups and sustain linguistic diversity. We present four core concepts of social justice and how these relate to linguistic research of vulnerable and marginalized communities: 1) Ensuring inclusivity by including community members in every aspect of research, whenever possible; this means that the community is not just the source of knowledge but must also participate in how data are assembled, displayed, and distributed. A closely related concept is, 2) Promoting agency, especially by listening to the community’s feedback, incorporating culturally autochthonous materials in research, and looking beyond linguistic data to understand the community as a whole. Furthermore, the 3) Role of equity is central to social justice. The linguist can promote equity by establishing the marginalized linguistic group as knowledge-producing agents, and recognizing their rights, space, and cultural practices. Participants must feel safe, heard, and empowered to organize knowledge according to their tradition. Finally, the researcher must make every effort to 4) Mitigate the vulnerability of the community by applying strong ethical guidelines, but also in assessing participant vulnerabilities at every research stage, including recruitment, research question formulation, and incentives for participation. Finally, we emphasize the role of the linguist as an agent of social change. Linguists have the ability to participate in language and education policies, connect linguistic communities, create and participate in media, and combat stereotypes with empirical data, thereby promoting inclusivity, agency, and equity among vulnerable communities.
Abstract
In this concluding chapter, all the authors of this volume have collaborated to highlight key reflections on their experiences as researchers of Afro- Hispanic varieties. We argue that descriptive linguistics is no longer enough, and that linguistics in the XXI century must now become a tool to empower linguistic groups and sustain linguistic diversity. We present four core concepts of social justice and how these relate to linguistic research of vulnerable and marginalized communities: 1) Ensuring inclusivity by including community members in every aspect of research, whenever possible; this means that the community is not just the source of knowledge but must also participate in how data are assembled, displayed, and distributed. A closely related concept is, 2) Promoting agency, especially by listening to the community’s feedback, incorporating culturally autochthonous materials in research, and looking beyond linguistic data to understand the community as a whole. Furthermore, the 3) Role of equity is central to social justice. The linguist can promote equity by establishing the marginalized linguistic group as knowledge-producing agents, and recognizing their rights, space, and cultural practices. Participants must feel safe, heard, and empowered to organize knowledge according to their tradition. Finally, the researcher must make every effort to 4) Mitigate the vulnerability of the community by applying strong ethical guidelines, but also in assessing participant vulnerabilities at every research stage, including recruitment, research question formulation, and incentives for participation. Finally, we emphasize the role of the linguist as an agent of social change. Linguists have the ability to participate in language and education policies, connect linguistic communities, create and participate in media, and combat stereotypes with empirical data, thereby promoting inclusivity, agency, and equity among vulnerable communities.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Afro-Hispanic linguistics. Challenges, misrepresentations, and assumptions 1
- An overview of recent research on the sociolinguistic role of Luso-Africans, ladino Africans, and criollos of African descent in the early colonial Spanish Americas 17
- Methodological choices and personal responsibility of researchers 133
- Afro-Puerto Rican Spanish declarative intonation 163
- San Andrean Spanish stylistic variation in academia 195
- Subject pronoun expression in Equatoguinean Spanish 225
- Issues of Spanish language maintenance among the Equatorial Guinean community in Houston 253
- Towards a social justice framework for marginalized linguistic communities 273
- Index 287
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Afro-Hispanic linguistics. Challenges, misrepresentations, and assumptions 1
- An overview of recent research on the sociolinguistic role of Luso-Africans, ladino Africans, and criollos of African descent in the early colonial Spanish Americas 17
- Methodological choices and personal responsibility of researchers 133
- Afro-Puerto Rican Spanish declarative intonation 163
- San Andrean Spanish stylistic variation in academia 195
- Subject pronoun expression in Equatoguinean Spanish 225
- Issues of Spanish language maintenance among the Equatorial Guinean community in Houston 253
- Towards a social justice framework for marginalized linguistic communities 273
- Index 287
