EXAMINING THE DYNAMICS OF INTERACTION IN AN ARAB SPEECH COMMUNITY IN IRAN: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC ETHNOGRAPHY.

Abstract

espanolEsteestudio explora las interacciones linguisticas de los arabes iranies teniendo en cuenta factores y conceptos como el poder de los interlocutores, la solidaridad, la cortesia y la descortesiay lasvariables, genero, edad, parentesco y otras. Intenta delinear lo que constituye tanto un comportamiento linguistico cortes comodescortes a la luz de la jerarquia de relaciones que sonaltamente representativasde la sociedad, la cultura y el idiomaarabes. Se trata de una estudio de etnografia sociolinguistica efectuadaen una comunidad arabe monoetnica rural en el suroeste de Iran. Se consideraque las interacciones linguisticas en las comunidadesdehablaarabes estan influenciadas por variables biologicas como la edad, el sexo y el parentesco, factores culturales como la afiliacion religiosa y el trasfondohistorico, asi como aspectos linguisticos como el lenguaje altamente formulaicoempleado. Esta red complicada de interacciones entrelazadas crea una dinamicaespecial. Interactuar y participar en un entorno linguistico tan enroscadose vuelve cada vez mas dificil, especialmente para los “recien llegados o forasteros linguisticos”, como ninos y extranjeros. Se concluye que, sin un conocimiento profundo del rolde la mayoria de las variables mencionadas anteriormente, la interrupcion de la comunicacion sera probablemente inevitable. En linea con investigaciones anteriores, el analisis verifica la naturaleza multifacetica de la construccion de identidad, que es el producto conjunto de la dinamica de las relaciones de poder, las interacciones sociales y las estructuras linguisticas. El estudio destaca el importante papel desempenado por el origen etnico, la cultura, el genero y las afiliaciones religiosas. EnglishThe current study explores the linguistic interactions of Iranian Arabs by taking into account such factors and concepts as interlocutor power, solidarity, politeness and impoliteness and other variables including gender, age, kinship and others. It attempts to delineate what constitutes polite as well as impolite linguistic behavior in light of the hierarchy of relations which is highly characteristic of the Arab society, culture and language. The study is a sociolinguistic ethnography carried out in a rural mono-ethnic Arab community in southwestern Iran. It is argued that linguistic interactions in Arab speech communities fall under the remarked influence of biological variables including age, sex and kinship, cultural factors such as religious affiliation and historical background, as well as linguistic aspects like the highly formulaic language employed. This complicated network of interwoven interactions creates a special type of dynamics. Interacting and participating in such a twisted linguistic setting becomes increasingly difficult particularly for ‘linguistic newcomers or outsiders’ such as young children and foreigners. It is concluded that, without a thorough awareness of the role of most of the above-mentioned variables, breakdown in communication will be most probably inevitable. In line with previous research, the analysis verifies the multifaceted nature of identity construction which is found to be the joint product of the dynamics of power relations, social interactions and linguistic structures. The study highlights the significant role played by ethnicity, culture, gender and religious affiliations.