Project Idea

The main purpose of my project is to examine how specific instances of slang arise and how individual communities of practice can affect this process. I am interested in the subtle differences in slang that arise between groups of friends and people who generally live together. I am focusing specifically on male dormitories because of ease of access for me as a researcher. I want to see how certain slang phrases or words gain and lose popularity, and examine the origins of specific slang as it is used within the dorm community.
In order to achieve this goal, I will be interviewing residents from two male residence halls on campus in close proximity to each other (O’Neill Hall and Keough Hall) to see what sort of slang they recognize as “theirs.” I will see if there are differences based on floor, or hall location, or by dorm and if there are any common phrases between both groups. I will also ask about slang that is used for particular instances such as slang related only to eating, or dating, etc.
This project on slang fits the overall class topic because it shows how communities create identity through language interaction. Also the creation of slang often involves a conscious use of word-play to create humor or rapport. This combination of personal creativity and group adoption is what really interests me.
Sources that I am looking at include articles that we have read on language as social identity. I am still in the process of looking for specific articles on slang. I am thinking about looking at the article by Mary Bucholtz from last year about superstandard English.

Any comments on how I could streamline this topic would great? I'm very interested in the interaction between personal creativity and group cohesion.