Pop Culture and the Globalization of Non-standard Varieties of English

Abstract

Pop culture and specific pop subcultures are increasingly recognized as drivers of the globalization of non-standard varieties of English. Using an ethnographic approach, this investigation focuses on German reggae subculture to shed light on the global spread of Jamaican Creole (JC) in this pop culture niche by analyzing one outdoor reggae event in Germany. The study takes into account the event’s space, the performance of JC, and the audience by drawing on recordings, videos, field notes, photos, and interviews. The analysis shows that JC is part of a whole cluster of linguistic and non-linguistic signs related to reggae and Jamaica, while it is also being mixed with other language varieties. The performers only command a truncated repertoire of JC, mostly use stereotypical lexical items to perform a subcultural identity, and almost exclusively transport “construct-JC,” an ideological abstraction of JC beyond the level of specific linguistic signs, to the audience.

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