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| Format | Dissertation |
|---|---|
| Creator | Benndorf, Beate |
| Title | Language Maintenance and Symbolic Language in German American Vereine |
| Dissertation Note (type -- academic institution) | Ph.D -- State University of New York at Buffalo |
| Date | 2001 |
| Extent of Work | xviii, 286 pages |
| View Online | |
| Abstract | Although the importance of community organizations for ethnic groups has generally been recognized by researchers, there are few studies of German American clubs and associations in general and even fewer that deal specifically with language. The survival of German American clubs and associations to the present day indicates that they still serve a function. With respect to language maintenance in the strict sense, the potential role of clubs and associations is limited, but they nevertheless do use the language in a very special way to express the ‘Germanness’ of their activities. The present function of German American clubs and associations and their use of language and of ethnic symbols reflect the changing character of ethnicity in the United States. This development illustrates how a form of ethnicity can survive the loss of cultural content and how symbolism can be sufficient to mark the differences between ethnic groups. This corresponds with the desire of many descendents of immigrants in the United States to express ethnicity as one part of their life that emerges in certain situations but does not generally interfere with everyday life. Ethnicity—even as leisure activity—remains an important part of identity. The occurrence of symbolic language in German American clubs and associations as presented in this study is evidence of the ethnic function language often retains even when its communicative function is lost. Clubs and associations provide the occasions to experience the symbolic aspects of ethnicity, including language. |
| MKI Terms | German Americans/ Societies, etc./ Language maintenance/ Sociolinguistics/ Linguistics/ Ethnic identity |