In Chapter 5 in Rodenburg's book, she discusses how habits effect our voices. I was discussing something related to this today with Wenny on the way to Jonesborough and made the connection with the book later this evening. I had mentioned that I code switch my voice when I arrive in Sweden. Actually, my switch happens in the basement of the Copenhagen airport as I wait for the train to Sweden. I lower the volume of my voice, stop making eye contact and have a more private voice in the public sphere. This is the same for men and women there, because public voices in Sweden are not as loud or aggressive as compared to American voices. As Rodenburg says, "If we believe and have invested in our role in life then we quite often cultivate a voice that matches it." She goes on to talk about professions that have made a habit of certain voices, including "doctors, lawyers, teachers, bank managers, vicars..."
According to Rodenburg, the louder, aggressive voice is derived from urban areas. "Urban speakers do appear more aggressive, more impatient, less inclined to finish sentences."She compares the big cities of London, Glasgow and New York City. She talks about the slower, softer voice from the rural areas. I am still trying to compare those slower, softer rural voices to what I know of Swedish voices. I haven't noticed the same difference in Sweden between urban and rural voices, but perhaps I can't hear it myself. Rodenburg does share an example of her time living in Norway and how she cut back on her breathe. She felt she couldn't breathe there and her right to speak was compromised. I have the opposite reaction, because I find the calmer and softer voice in Sweden soothing. My ears are happy again, when I am no longer hearing the loud and aggressive voices from urban areas of the US. Has anyone else thought about these vocal habits or what Rodenburg describes as settling in habits? -Laurina
According to Rodenburg, the louder, aggressive voice is derived from urban areas. "Urban speakers do appear more aggressive, more impatient, less inclined to finish sentences."She compares the big cities of London, Glasgow and New York City. She talks about the slower, softer voice from the rural areas. I am still trying to compare those slower, softer rural voices to what I know of Swedish voices. I haven't noticed the same difference in Sweden between urban and rural voices, but perhaps I can't hear it myself. Rodenburg does share an example of her time living in Norway and how she cut back on her breathe. She felt she couldn't breathe there and her right to speak was compromised. I have the opposite reaction, because I find the calmer and softer voice in Sweden soothing. My ears are happy again, when I am no longer hearing the loud and aggressive voices from urban areas of the US. Has anyone else thought about these vocal habits or what Rodenburg describes as settling in habits? -Laurina
Good observations, Laurina. Socio-linguist, Deborah Tannen, makes similar observations about regional styles for turn-taking, interruption, "rapport speak" and so on. She has many useful books, including the most popular "You Just Don't Understand (Men & Women in Conversation)" and "Talking Voices: repetition, dialogue, and imagery in conversation" which is often used in this program.
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of cultural rules for eye behavior as a means of maintaining privacy - in closer, crowded communities, eye contact may be considered invasive. I wonder if something like that occurs with voice? Are loud speakers invading privacy? We certainly find loud voices invasive in public settings such as restaurant, where we expect to enjoy a private conversation....
I have also experience that in my life and at first I was confused because I come from a family where you may say it was the opposite. My father's family lived in a big metro area in Mexico and always spoke in a softer voice while my mother's family lived in a ranch with no cities nor neighbors f nearby. As I study cultural traits and behaviors during one of my undergraduate translation studies, I learned that regions create differences within each culture. For example: accents or different ways of saying certain words in the north and the south.
ReplyDeleteMegan mentioned yesterday to have a "universal" approach when we are telling stories and I think that is a good approach in use of language voice and tone.
Although I have lived for many years in Long Island---I feel I am still affected by the vocal habits (volume and speed) and facial expressions/body language of the Bronx. And the thing is---it is soooo very different from the soft musicality of Appalachian speech patterns.
ReplyDeleteJoy