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I can't remember which class I was in when I first heard the phrase "code switching." I am not even sure if I was in high school or in college. But the teacher's definition of this phrase has stayed with me for years --not verbatim, but the gist of it: code switching is the phenomenon that occurs when people change their manner of speaking depending on who they're conversing with at the time. Likewise, the social setting a person finds themselves in greatly influences the way they speak. For example, when meeting someone at a friend's bar-be-que, a person might say: "How's it goin'." A day or two later that same person may be seen at the cotillion greeting someone new with a "How do you do?"
That's a simple example which sounds quite reasonable. We all know that different social circumstances demand different modes of expression. But, what do we make of the more sustained and complex instances of the same phenomenon. I once new a man who gave business proposals to Fortune 500 companies. He would "wow" the executives with his eloquence, perspicacity, and polished delivery. Then, he would be seen at the local pub, hitting his head with a checkered gym shoe, quoting Jeff Spicoli: "Dude that's my skull." His original sentences would also be in the same "California surfer dude" idiom.
This "code switching" phenomenon must be investigated further. It is a weird cultural force that, I dare say, everyone seems to engage in to some degree. Its implications are huge and a little frightening. Is code switching normal or as one friend of mine called it "a little bit like Multi-Personality Disorder?" I have failed to find any research on the topic. An entry for "code switching," can be found on Wikipedia, but in a different context. It used the phrase "code switching" to describe the habit of bilingual speakers who toggle between two languages while speaking to other bilingual speakers. An example of this would be the speaking of Spanglish by Americans of Hispanic descent or Greenglish by my own ethic group. An explanation of code switching, used in the context of my teacher's definition, could not be found.
An Appeal
If anyone is aware of any books or journal articles on the topic of "code switching" (as defined by my teacher), please send me their titles in the "comments" section of this blog. If nothing can be found, I invite anyone so inclined to consider writing a book on "code switching." Irony would demand that you change your writing style with each successive chapter.
Afterword: "Code Switching" in Popular Culture
A scene in Martin Scorsese's movie, The Departed, describes "code switching." Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) and Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) recruit Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) to be their undercover agent. Dignam accuses Costigan of being a "code switcher":
DIGNAM
You were kind of a double kid, I
bet, right? One kid with your old
man. One kid with your mother.
Upper middle class in the week, and
then dropping your 'r's and hanging
in the Southie projects with daddy
on the weekends. I got
that right?...
You had different accents? You
did, didn't you. You were different people...
I need you, pal. You've already
pretended to be a Costigan from
South Boston.
Of course, the whole movie has to do with "code switching." The conflict lies in the tension between the protagonists who are pretending to be someone they are not.
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8 comments:
Love the Two Face graphic.
Thanks my man ellis. I was searching for a good picture and was at a bit of a loss to find one that matched my theme. Two Face came to mind and seemed to fill the bill. He was always one of my favorite Bat Man villains. Here is a question for you: Was Two Face ever featured as a villain on the Adam West Batman television show? I can't remember.
Thank you Spencer for your insightful comments. You are so right! Woody Allen's "Zelig" is the ultimate cinematic work about "code switching." I love that movie, but failed to make the connection until you brought it up. This has inspired me to create a list of all the films that have dwelt with this theme. So far we have two: "Zelig" and "The Departed."
I don't believe Two Face was ever in the Adam West series. He was featured in the current "The Dark Night" picture. I saw it last week, and am a big fan. I wouldn't add it to the Code Switching list because it is more of a secret/former identity issue.
I am posting this comment on behalf of a friend who e-mailed it to me. For continuity sake, read it as if it's the third posting. It had to be deleted, then re-posted because I made a few typos.
Theophanes
"Code Switching," as so called by Theophanes is indeed a fascinating yet alarming subject. I believe most of us "code switch" on a regular basis depending on whom we are with. And it may be that altering one's character in order to accommodate the next person's personality is ultimately dangerous to that individual's mind.
Woody Allen addressed this subject in a terrific (but rarely seen) film entitled "Zelig". In it a man travels to the brink of insanity because of his chameleon like nature to become like all the people he visits for the moment. It is a film, like many of Allen's films, which is simultaneously amusing and serious in its overall point. I enthusiastically recommend this film for all to see!
Finally, however, I believe, that we all "code switch" in order to acquire approval from others. In other words, we change our speech, syntax, rhythms, and sometimes even our physical appearance in order to be like those people we are with at the time. The danger rests in how conscious we are of our own changes in character. The less conscious we are of our own "code switching," the more likely we are to do damage, physically or emotionally, to our minds. In the end this may, in extreme cases, mark the distinction between sanity and insanity.
Congratulations to Theophanes for introducing us all to this fascinating topic. It is important enough of a subject to keep in our sights for as long as we walk the planet.
Spencer Farmans
July 26, 2008 1:25 PM
Fascinating topic, Theophanes. I have never heard of code switching before but I am going to immediately look into it further. I'm wondering if it is a recent phenomenon or are there examples in classic Lit? (I don't remember Beowulf changing his tune when he talked to Hrothgar, do you?)
It would be my guess that "code switching" has been going on as long as human societies have existed. It just occurred to me, that it probably even predates speech! The proverbial cave man probably "code switched" using body language before he was able to talk. I am sure that examples of "code switching" exist all throughout classic literature (in the way defined by my blog). One new side project of mine will be to try and identify instances of this. Many examples of phenomena related to "code switching" in the classics come to mind. For example, characters assuming false identities in Shakespeare's comedies and in 18th century librettos like "The Marriage of Figaro." Technically, these are not examples of "code switching" as defined by my blog. But, they are certainly related. All forms of acting or any kind of deception are akin to "code switching." Thank you so much for your post. It expands the conversation of this topic enormously. This is what blogging is all about.
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