History Bump

Class Politics: The Movement For The Students Right To Their Own Language

This book examines the movement of SRTOL , and the various organizations that were involved within the movement. The NUC, CCCC, Black Panthers, William Labov, J.L. Dillard, and Geneva Smitherman are all mentioned in the introduction, and our esteemed Dr. Parks goes on to describe the roles that each of these organizations/people played in the political controversy concerning Black English.

stance of researcher/writer

The research appears to be archival in nature, and while I didn't have a chance to talk to Prof. Parks directly, it seems to me that his examination included language development (including rhetoric), pedagogical issues, history, and the overall cultural experiences of African Americans.

His/her purpose
Since this book was authored by one of our own, I have to say I am hesitant to try to evaluate his purpose without having read the book in its entirety, but I'll give it a shot-
I believe the purpose is to alleviate the dis-ease regarding language practices, and perhaps to express that we place a burden on language that it is not meant to bear. We use it to decide level of intelligence, socio-economic status, and cultural affiliation. I think this book is meant to demonstrate that regardless of language, dialect, or any other difference that we may find among our students, everyone has a right to be understood and be taught-even if that means re-negotiating our personal biases with regard to language and the presuppostions that go along with them.

method of data collection

Most of the data came from archives, but also books concerning culture, language, and linguistics. I did not see any evidence of personal interviews.

method of analysis
Ah...the tricky question. This is difficult to touch upon, because I think it was very much like what we do when we are trying to answer a compelling question. We read, research, and ultimately decide what is important and what isn't. I don't see how this book could have been written any other way.

method of representation

This book is presented as a compilation of facts, quotes, and opinions about linguistic constraints.

apparent disciplinary aim
I think the aim is to become familiar with language in a way that will allow the reader to be more objective about Black English.