Written Communication Apr 2012

Indexicality and “Standard” Edited American English

Bethany Davila New Mexico Highlands University

Abstract

This article explores the indexicality (the ideological process that links language and identity) of “standard” edited American English and the ideologies (specifically, standard language ideology and Whiteness) that work to create and justify common patterns that associate privileged White students with written standardness and that disassociate underrepresented—especially African American—students from “standard” edited American English. Drawing on interviews with composition instructors about their readings of anonymous student texts, the author argues that indexicality and standardness are mutually informative: The non/standard features of student texts operate as indexicals for student-author identities just as perceived student-author identities influence the reading of a text as non/standard. Ultimately, this article offers inroads to challenging destructive and enduring indexical patterns that offer unearned privilege to some students at the expense of others and, in the process, perpetuate race- and class-based privilege.AQ Note that APA style capitalizes Black and White.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
2012-04-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088312438691
Open Access
Closed
Topics
race and writing voice and style

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (5)

  1. Wolfe (2024)
    What Educational Psychology Can Teach Us about Providing Feedback to Black Stud…
    College Composition and Communication
  2. Davila (2022)
    White Language Supremacy in Course Descriptions
    College Composition and Communication
  3. Gere et al. (2021)
    Communal Justicing: Writing Assessment, Disciplinary Infrastructure, and the Ca…
    College Composition and Communication
  4. Olinger (2016)
    A Sociocultural Approach to Style
    Rhetoric Review
  5. Davila (2016)
    The Inevitability of “Standard” English
    Written Communication

Cites in this index (3)

  1. Tardy et al. (2009)
    The Construction of Author Voice by Editorial Board Members
    Written Communication
  2. Smith (1997)
    Students' Goals, Gatekeeping, and Some Questions of Ethics
    College English
  3. HATCH et al. (1993)
    When the Messenger is the Message
    Written Communication
Also cites 11 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.1215/00031283-75-4-362
     ↗
  2. 10.1177/1461445605054407
     ↗
  3. 10.3998/mpub.8903
     ↗
  4. 10.1075/swll.5
     ↗
  5. 10.2307/25472180
     ↗
  6. 10.1016/j.esp.2006.10.001
     ↗
  7. 10.1598/RRQ.37.2.6
     ↗
  8. 10.1080/00335639509384117
     ↗
  9. 10.1515/9781400821624.1
     ↗
  10. 10.4324/9780203006665
     ↗
  11. 10.1016/S0898-5898(01)00055-9
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 20 View in citation network →

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