Acts of Identity in the North East

Linguistic variation has always been a popular topic in linguistics. It is interesting to see how groups of people can differ in their use of language, even if they work in the same city (see Labov, 1972) or attend the same school (see Eckert, 1989; Bucholtz, 1999). The reasons for such differences can vary extensively. In Bucholtz (1998), the ‘nerd girls’ were aware of the linguistic practices of the jocks, and actively distanced themselves from such practices. In Trudgill (1974) the difference between (n) and (ng) can be explained by class differentiation and by gender (also seen in Eckert). All of these different (or similar) uses of language all are part of an individual’s identity, something which an individual can have intense feeling towards. It is, essentially, who they are, and it can affect the way they view others depending on if their identities are similar or conflict. This paper will focus on the social identities of Geordies (from Newcastle) and Mackems (from Sunderland). It is well-known in the North East of the rivalry between the two groups over football, but the conflict is much deeper than that, and there is a surprisingly large difference in the linguistic style between them, despite being fairly close geographically. It would be an interesting opportunity to look at the vast linguistic variation of two cities fairly close to one another, consisting of people who are loyal to their identity as a Geordie or as a Mackem. Data will be collected through audio recordings of group conversations, each group consisting of around 5 to 10 people. There will be three groups; one consisting of Geordies, one of Mackems, and a group with both. Each group will be given cards with questions relating to social identity which they can choose to discuss. Questions will revolve around a range of topics, for example where they live (North East in general and then more specifically the city they live in), sports they like and hobbies. This paper aims to discover people’s perception of themselves as part of a community, their perceptions of others in their community and in the opposing community, and what it takes to be accepted or rejected by the community. It is likely that each group will feel very strongly about their social identity, and about their views towards their rival group. It is possible that the conflict is simply due to rival football teams, but conversation can get quite aggressive when this is mentioned, and the ‘ugly’ side of both groups can appear.