Context and Complexity in Working Class Language

The research consisted of a comparative analysis of the written language of a working-class group of subjects and a middle-class group, the aim being to test Bernstein's socio-linguistic theory of a class-based limitation to a restricted ' code. Both groups of subjects were given essay titles demanding different forms of stylistic treatment. The written language they produced was then analysed to assess and compare the degree of stylistic variation it contained. On certain linguistic items stylistic 'shifts ' were predicted in the writing of both groups as they moved from title to title. In certain areas and contrary to the preconceptions of earlier workers in the field it was predicted that these stylistic shifts would be more pronounced in the writing of working-class subjects. In line with the prediction, the working-class group was shown to posses a greater stylistic variation in its writing on the titles and linguistic indicators selected. Their scores on the items were more likely to move in the predicted direction and, when they did so, were more likely than those of the middle-class group to move consistently and to a level of statistical significance.