Discussion questions for Zhang 2005 “A Chinese yuppie in Beijing: Phonological variation and the construction of a new professional identity”

  1. Can the notion of linguistic market be thought of as a capitalist way of thinking, and is deeply rooted in the capitalist social structures (See pages 432 & 452)?
  2. Is identity-construction possible without being influenced by the sociocultural environment and language ideology? Can we discuss identity in idiosyncratic ways?
  3. Is identity construction as easy and surface-level as “picking and choosing” linguistic features and making a bricolage of stylistic “ensemble”? (456 & 457)