Linguistic Profiling and the Law by John Baugh
Thursday, February 27, 2014 · 3:30 - 4:30 PM
Off Campus
CAL is proud to sponsor the following University of Maryland Invited Talk
Linguistic Profiling and the Law
by John Baugh
Thursday, February 27, 2014
3:30 pm
2212B Benjamin Building
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
About the Presentation
This presentation describes
some of the ways in which cases of linguistic discrimination intersects
with a combination of legal considerations regarding expert evidence
and testimony pertaining to litigation related to civil and criminal
violations of the law. The evidence is derived from a combination of
linguistic research, devoted primarily to analyses of dialect diversity
and language attitudes, combined with instances of discrimination in
housing, education, and employment in the United States. Whereas the
courts are well equipped to address cases of racial profiling based on
face-to-face encounters, matters regarding “ear-witness” testimony have
proved to be quite challenging in the absence of any visual cues. The
presentation offers some suggestions regarding ways in which linguists
can assist attorneys who take on cases of “linguistic profiling” where
allegations of discrimination are derived from telephone conversations
and perceptions derived from hearing someone, sight unseen.
About Dr. Baugh
John Baugh is
Margaret Bush Wilson Professor in Arts & Sciences and former
Director of African and African American Studies at Washington
University in St. Louis. Prior to his tenure at Washington University,
Dr. Baugh taught at Stanford University, the University of Texas at
Austin, and Swarthmore College. Dr. Baugh has published award-winning
books in the fields of Anthropology, Education, Legal Affairs,
Linguistics, Sociology and Urban Studies. His work bridges theoretical
and applied linguistics, with particular attention to matters of policy
and social equity in the fields of education, medicine, and the law. He
has conducted extensive research regarding the social stratification of
linguistic diversity within the U.S., Austria, Brazil, Hungary, South
Africa, and the UK, and is actively engaged in ongoing research that
examines the evolution and dissemination of English and other European
languages in post-colonial contexts throughout the world. Dr. Baugh is a
past president of the American Dialect Society and a member of the
usage advisory committee for the American Heritage English Dictionary.
He is Associate Editor of Language, concentrating on matters where
language relates to public policies. He has also served as consultant on
several documentary films related to American language and as an expert
witness in court cases where matters of voice recognition and language
attitudes have been central. Dr. Baugh received his B.A. in Speech and
Rhetoric at Temple University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Linguistics at
the University of Pennsylvania.
SPONSORED BY
- Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
- Center for Applied Linguistics
- Linguistics Department
- Maryland English Institute
- Jeffrey and David Mullan Endowment for Teacher Education and Professional Development
