John Baugh on linguistic privilege
From De-sign by De-fault among linguistically disenfranchised populations | John Baugh | Design@Large · · Design Lab
“Native speakers of standard English in the United States are in a position of linguistic privilege. If you recognize that and you put forth the effort to be accepting of someone whose linguistic background is different from your own, that helps solve a lot of linguistic discrimination.”
On , John Baugh, Vice President of Investor Relations at PROG HOLDINGS INC, spoke about linguistic privilege during De-sign by De-fault among linguistically disenfranchised populations | John Baugh | Design@Large on Design Lab.
About John Baugh
John Baugh, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, delivered a talk titled "De-sign by De-fault among linguistically disenfranchised populations" in September 2021. During the presentation, Baugh discussed his concept of linguistic profiling and criticized the "accent reduction industry," which he described as a "fake industry." He argued that linguistic diversity should be accepted rather than erased, and stated that native speakers of standard English in the United States are in a position of linguistic privilege. Baugh also addressed the term "Ebonics," explaining that it describes the entire linguistic landscape of the African slave trade, including contact with Portuguese, French, Spanish, and English. Baugh further noted that slavery remains one of the greatest crimes in history and that its consequences are still felt in the United States. He commented on regional accents, stating that the United States will not become accentless because people talk like those they interact with daily. Baugh also highlighted that sexual orientation is not a protected class and that linguistic profiling based on stereotypes about who sounds gay remains an area requiring further work. He called for greater acceptance of linguistic diversity, citing examples of public figures with accents who have held high office.