Linguistic Profiling

Have you ever answered the phone or called someone you are unfamiliar with, such as making an appointment for services or gotten an unsolicited phone call, heard the voice on the other end of the line, and been filled with a strong emotional response?  I want you to seriously think on your answer to that question for a moment.  Was your response to hearing that stranger’s voice a positive or a negative one?  Chances are we have all experienced these types of calls and had different emotional responses-good or bad-based simply on the sound of the voice on the other end of the line.  I have had friends work in call center positions, and they have reported how customers would react based on how they (my friends) sounded when answering the call with a simple, “Hello, this is (Name) from (company).  How can I help you?”  Everyone had the exact same script they had to use, but the way their voice sounded directed how the call would go from there, with either a happy or irate customer.  This anecdote is meant to introduce you to today’s concept that will be discussed further: linguistic profiling.  This blog post will discuss what it is, its implication, and a potential solution to this very real problem.

 

Linguistic profiling is a concept coined by John Baugh.  It is defined as the “auditory equivalent of visual racial profiling” (Baugh, Linguistic Profiling 155) in which the way someone sounds causes them to lose access to goods or services.  Linguistic profiling is a judgement made based simply on the accent someone uses, referring to how one pronounces words when verbally communicating. 

 

There are two types of linguistic profiling: preferential and discriminatory.  Preferential linguistic profiling occurs when someone’s accent is viewed in a favorable manner and they are provided normal or greater access to goods and services.  Using the above example when my friends working at the call center were viewed as having a favorable accent they were treated much more kindly by customers.  Preferential linguistic profiling can also occur among individuals who feel that they share a common accent, which is often called inclusive profiling, thereby leading to people feeling a greater affinity with those who sound like them.  Discriminatory linguistic profiling is when someone’s accent is viewed unfavorably and they are denied access to goods and services.  With the above example when my friends working the call center were identified as speaking an unfavorable accent the customer would often be far more irritated, impatient, and rude.  Discriminatory linguist profiling is typically most often used against Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPoC), but it can also affect Whites who have an unfavorable accent.  It can also be used in a way to exclude individuals from identity groups because they do not sound like the expected norm (e.g. Black individuals with foreign or dominant English accents).

 

John Baugh became interested in linguistic profiling based on his own experiences growing up as a child in Los Angeles and later in his experiences as an African American linguistic scholar.  He found that when he sounded a certain way he was provided access to goods and services, particularly if and when his physical body was not seen.  From this he conducted a series of experiments wherein he spoke specific minority accents and asked about housing availability.  He would speak with an African American/Black accent, a Latinx dialect, and then a Standard American (White) dialect, and he would ask the same question, “Hello, I am calling about the apartment to rent.  Is it still available?”  He continually received negative responses (e.g. “No, it’s no longer available”) when he spoke in both the African American/Black accent and Latinx dialect but would receive positive responses (e.g. “Yes, it is still available”) when he spoke in the Standard American (White) dialect. 

 

The implications of linguistic profiling are very profound.  Discriminatory linguistic profiling is a subtle but very real form of racism.  Because racism is strongly correlated with what someone looks like and very rarely associated with the immaterial/nonmaterial aspects of identity it is difficult to prove.  It is, however, a very real phenomenon, cited in various court cases, complaints in illegal dismissals from jobs, and denial of housing applications.  It is also not just a problem in the United States but a global issue.

 

John Baugh points out that linguistic profiling can be overcome.  By giving everyone a chance regardless of how they sound and being accepting of various accents one can begin to reduce and remove linguistic profiling.  This is easier said than done, but by being aware of the problem and one’s biases (either for or against) specific accents one can begin the individual process of reducing and removing linguistic profiling bias.  If each person who reads this post were to do that then the problem would begin to diminish and eventually disappear.

 

Bibliography

Baugh, John. "Linguistic Profiling." Makoni, Sinfree, et al. Black Linguistics: Language, Society, and Politics in Africa and the Americas. New York: Routledge, 2003. 155-168. Print.

—. TEDx Talks: The Significance of Linguistic Profiling. Atlanta, 28 June 2019. Video.

Mena, Mike. John Baugh - "Linguistic Profiling" (2003). 25 April 2020. Video.