Student: Scatragli Roberta Group I
English-Speaking double's name: ERIN BROCKOVICH Date: 18/05 /2007
North Central American English
As in most North American accents, [ɒ] is merged with [ɑ], so that father rhymes with bother.
"roof", "book", and "root" all use the same vowel [ʊ]); "root" may be pronounced as rhyming with "scoot," however
Use of German/Scandinavian "ja", pronounced as either /jaː/ or /jæː/, as an affirmative filler or emphatic; Standard U.S. English "yes" is used in formal settings to answer questions and to start an explanation.
The word "school" has two syllables, pronounced: "Skoo-ehl".
Tendency towards a "sing-songy" intonation (the area's earliest European settlers were primarily Scandinavian, and this has influenced the local dialect). More recently, this has been reinforced by an influx of Asians, most of whom speak tonal languages. In urban Minnesota, this variation of NCAE is referred to as "Minnewegian," a portmanteau of Minnesota and Norwegian.
For a stereotypical example, refer to the movie Fargo. For a more moderate example, Garrison Keillor speaks with a typical Minnesota accent.(Note: most southern, even rural, Minnesota accents sound more like the northern Iowan accent. More distinct accents up in the northern areas are still much less defined than in Fargo.) Accents in the Twin Cities will sound like other midwestern urban centers, and are similar to Milwaukee and Chicago (though the accent is more noticeable in Twin Cities residents born prior to 1950, which had more rural area influences, than those born in the 1980's, which had more influences via television, popular music, and other forms of popular culture). People from other parts of Wisconsin can usually recognize that a person is from the Milwaukee area and vice-versa.
final /t/ is replaced in the speech of most individuals by /ʔ/, including after nasals, to the extent that a clearly enunciated "can" /kæːn/ in otherwise rapid speech is likely to be confused with "can't." ("Can" is normally pronounced as /kən/, or even with the vowel reduced to a syllabification of the /n/ itself, while "can't" is normally pronounced /kæ̃ːʔ/.)
collapse of /ð/ with /d/ and /θ/ with /t/: a humorous example would be:
"Yozef? Are you done cleaning da barn?"
"No, but it's about two turds [two thirds] done."
This phoneme collapse is far more prevalent in rural areas. This characteristic is likely due to the large immigrant population (in most cases notably less than a century removed from "the old country"), comprised in great part of speakers of Germanic, Slavic and Finnic languages. One notable exception, giving weight to this theory, is that it is peculiarly absent on Washington Island, in Wisconsin, in the very heart of the prevalence of this trait. Washington Island is home to the most homogeneous Icelander (over 90% of the population) immigrant community in the U.S., and unlike most non-English Germanic languages, the Icelandic language differentiates between the phonemes /ð/ and /d/ and between /θ/ and /t/.
Older speakers in the region may merge /w/ and/v/ making well sound like vell.
Perhaps to a greater degree than other parts of the United States, standard American English pronunciation is replacing the regional accent, probably because there is less cultural identity wrapped up in the language than elsewhere
This regional variety has been much popularized, in somewhat satirical fashion, by the popular music group "Da Yoopers" (From "Yooper", a person from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan), singing such songs as Second Week Of Deer Camp, Grandpa Got Run Over By A Beer Truck and Rusty Chevrolet. In addition, it has also been satirized in the form of Coach Z, a character on the Homestar Runner web site, and in numerous skits and sketches by the cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
The maxims
American
“E pluribus unum” (from many one).
“You” are your destiny
Winning is a law of nature
Truth is the best advocate
A clean conscience makes a soft pillow
Punctuality is the key of success
Politeness is the most acceptable hypocrisy
Diplomacy: the patriotic art of lying
ITALIAN
E’ meglio un sì grazioso che un no dispettoso. (Sii chiaro e diretto)
Non si lascia la strada vecchia per la nuova (Il cambiamento è positivo)
Fatta la legge, trovato l’inganno (Le regole vanno rispettate)
L’uomo propone e Dio dispone (Sei tu a controllare il tuo destino)
Di mamma ce n’è una sola (Pensa al valore dell’indipendenza)
Il diritto per gli amici va interpretato, per i nemici va applicato (La legge è uguale per tutti)
Anche la regina ebbe bisogno della vicina (Chi fa da sé fa per tre)
Aprile dolce dormire (Rispetta i tempi)
Non mi dire il vero che mi si drizza il pelo (Sii aperto e onesto)
T H E R E P O R T
Sunday 13.05.2007.
Today, for the whole day, I will be Erin to observe from another perspective and with another
mentality the differences between the American and the Italian culture which involves exploring
two levels of consciousness: the explicit and the tacit. Explicit culture is what I will see:
behaviors, objects, interactions; it is a level of knowledge which I will can communicate about
with relative ease. Tacit culture, on the other hand, is that which will be implicit and unspoken.
It is the domain of meanings, where behavior is generated and where I, as ethnographer, must
probe in order to understand experience. So I have tried to observe the explicit and the tacit
levels of both cultures in these experience studying the way to explore symbols, beliefs and
values. The choice for the day of my experiment is not casual, in fact I have decided to choose
this day because on Sunday all the family is at home and above all because today is the
Mother’s day dedicated to the “mamma” celebration.
The experiment starts in the morning: I have decided do not tidy my son’s bedroom, as Erin I
have to incourage his sense of indipendence. For a while nothing happens but two hours later
my son asks me: “Mom, how do you feel? ....( he seems a little bit embarassed, he sees
that I’m well) ...because I see that my bedroom is still ...” “It’s still... what?” I continue qiuetly
but firmly “you are 21... you are grown up enough .... I can’t spend all the morning to tidy your
stuff.... books, drawers, clothes and so on... you know that I’m busy... and then do you think is it
right that I have to help you at your age? it should be the opposite...and then I don’t want feel
me like the stereotye of the Italian mummy who indulges well her boy into adulthood! ” (He
seems very surprised) “Ok mom ... (not really convinced) it’s ok...it’s ok”. ( As Erin that gives
me a sense of satisfaction but as Roberta I can’t avoid to feel me guilty).
Now we are in the living room my husband and my son are reading the newspapers.
As Erin, I’m a self made woman so I have a strong sense of individualism and indipendence, I
believe that changes are positive, I’m job and future oriented, I have the control of my time
and my life and I want to be free to take my decisions:
“I’m seriously planning to move to China... you know... I’ve realized that to improve my Chinese
I have to go there and stay at least 6 months ... maybe one year... I don’t know...”
(Silence for a while, my husband and my son look each other) then my son: “Really mom...???”
(I can feel their desease, they are disoriented) my husband visibly irritated: “Sorry... MAY I ask
you when have you taken the BIG DECISION please??? And WHY don’t you have never
talked about it with me before ?!!
I’m very resolute: “Because I have not decided yet!”
My husband frozen: “...and… in your opinion.... what we should do?”
Erin: “Sorry? I can’t understand you... What do you mean?”
My husband: “I mean you will be there and we will be here!!!”
Erin: “Yes but you are two adults, Daniele is not a child and he don’t need me for changing the
nappy!... and then in the past you too moved abroad for your job and I’ve said nothing!
Anyway... if you want you both could come with me... Why not!?”
My son: “But mom, don’t be ridicolous!! I have to attend my university!”
Erin:”But it could be an opportunity... think of it...”
Silence. The atmosphere is a little bit on edge. I’m putting on the table a beautiful Gardenia
which they have given me for the Mom’s celebration. It’s nearly lunchtime.
Erin: “Oh, it’s so beautiful! Thank you vey much! …. but I want to be honest...I
expected another gift from you... I expected you and dad prepared the lunch today...”
My son: “...but It’s late...I’m hungry now and I am not able to cook very well..”
My husband agrees with Daniele: “But you know that at three ‘oclock the football match
will start on tv!”
Erin: “Well! I’ll prepare a sandwich for me then... this is my day and I have a lot of things to
do … so you can open the freezer and manage by yourself... and ...“buon appetito!”
On their faces I can see the fall of one of the most embedded Italian mythes: the “mamma” who
has no right to feel tired and bored by her condition, always ready to take care of her family.
I feel that I’m forcing the situation now and that makes me a little bit unhappy, it should
be my Italian side.
In the afternoon my nextdoor neighboor rings my bell. She wants to inform me about a meeting
with our condo administrator, it’s a special occasion to be direct and tell her honestly what I
think about her terrible habit to leave the garbage on the landing: “You know, it’s a long time
that I have to ask you a thing... I can’t put off because it’s something that I really can’t stand
anymore!”. My neighboor is amazed: “Yes .... Roberta… tell me….” Erin: “PLEASE, don’t
leave the sacks full of bad smelling garbage outside of the door on the landing for whole days…
You have to keep them at home, inside, I mean as I do! Sorry if I’m so direct but, you know, the
landing it’s a common space... and then I think it’s unhygienic and sorry ... a little bit... uncivil”
She is astonished and embarassed, my son is without words, my husband is frozen but I can see
his satisfaction. “You could tell me that before!” she says.
Erin: “ I’ve already told you that other times before...but maybe in a too flowery way so that I
think that you didn’t understand me enough” .
I’m very sorry for her but what I feel is a sense of ... lightness.
“But what’s the problem today Roberta?” asks me my husband a bit worried later.
“Nothing... I’m feeling things in a different way today and I’m reflecting on them” I reply.
C O N C L U S I O N S
Indagare due universi culturali tanto diversi come quello americano e quello italiano attraverso
l’ esperienza di sdoppiamento è stato piuttosto impegnativo sia da un punto di vista emotivo
che relazionale in quanto ha richiesto un certo sforzo per mettere in moto un processo
d’immedesimazione che mi mettesse in grado di capirne le differenze.
Per far questo è stato importante capire chi Erin fosse anche in termini sottoculturali, al fine di
comprendere il suo linguaggio interiore che mi permettesse poi di riuscire a “sentire” le
stesse cose che Erin provava e arrivare a “volere” ciò che Erin voleva.
E’ stato necessario quindi operare una sorta di distaccamento dalla mia visione delle cose e dai miei
comportamenti abituali che ha però aperto una finestra su una realtà “interiore” dell’altro finora a
me sconosciuta.
Il dato più interessante emerso da questa esperienza è stato da una parte l’evidenziare alcuni aspetti
macroculturali americani tipizzanti che forgiano valori, attitudini e comportamenti comuni a quel
gruppo, dall’altra il condividere se non addirittura il riconoscermi, in alcuni aspetti di
quel sistema di valori.
Tutto questo conferma quanto una lingua sia il veicolo di una forza espressiva interiore che ha il
potere di esprimere un contesto e rappresentarlo e del fatto che la comunicazione quindi è un
processo di comprensione del linguaggio interiore dell’altro e non solo un atto linguistico fatto da
una catena di parole.