Code-switching, a term first used in the 20th century, refers to when people who speak multiple languages or dialects alternate between using those languages or dialects within a single conversation. However, this custom has taken on a different meaning.
Code-switching can also refer to members of marginalized or underrepresented identities adapting to the dominant environment around them in any situation. People who code-switch may code-switch to adapt to their surroundings and gain a chance of acceptance by others. Learn more about code-switching, including examples, benefits, risks, and more.
Examples of code-switching include changing language or dialect to assimilate into the dominant culture. Some people primarily speak English while their first language is Spanish. Some people may typically speak African American Vernacular English (AAVE), another dialect of English, at home and with their families, but speak Standard American English in other settings.
“Generally speaking, code-switching is about finding an effective way to communicate with another person,” says the race relations expert and author of “Why All Black Kids Are in the Cafeteria?” says psychologist Beverly Tatum, Ph.D., author of “Are We Sitting Together? and Other Conversations About Race.” ,” Said health. “When someone speaks to another person in a language they understand and in a way that puts them at ease, they are more likely to connect with that person.”
Code-switching also involves changing your appearance to match the standards of your environment. If a visual profile is associated with certain marginalized groups, members of any of those groups are likely to avoid traditional costumes associated with that culture or religion. They may even try to dress outside their social class if placed in an environment that requires it.
Why people code-switch depends on whether their environment encourages a culture of strict assimilation or fosters diversity and difference. “Trying to find common ground with others is not in itself harmful,” Tatum says. “If you have to deny your own sense of identity in order to do that, that becomes harmful.”
Many people change their behavior to adapt to their profession or get promoted. But according to Tatum and Miles Durkee, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, the ability to code-switch is a set of skills that can be developed and learned until you do it unconsciously. The psychological and physiological effects of code-switching.
“You have to first read the room, understand your audience, and then pick up on those cues quickly enough to substantiate those cues and make them seem real,” Durkee explains. did. “If not done effectively, your audience may judge you even more negatively for ‘trying too hard.'”
Neither Tatum nor Durkee believe that code-switching is harmful when done at will, rather than as a means of survival or personal advancement. In other words, mental health risks may be minimized if code-switching becomes a subconscious behavior.
In some cases, the purpose of code-switching is the benefit of acceptance. “Both experimental and correlational research shows that code-switching has benefits in the workplace, especially for Black people,” Durkee said. “Black people who code switch in the workplace are perceived as more professional by both Black and white co-workers.”
Tatum agreed that code-switching is a way to gain acceptance. “When people from a stigmatized group (which may be based on race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, etc.) interact with people from non-stigmatized groups, they code-switch. “They can sometimes downplay their group membership. It’s about fitting in and being accepted,” Tatum said. “It may help them advance their careers or feel accepted by the school.”
Additionally, people often engage in cultural codeswitching unconsciously, and studies of cultural codeswitching rely on self-reports. With that in mind, Durkee thought many people may be under-reporting the frequency of code-switching, making it difficult to document the benefits and drawbacks.
One study investigated the relationship between code-switching and its potential psychological effects. The researchers noted that code-switching can impair others’ ability to see individuals as they really are and can lead to professional problems such as burnout and emotional exhaustion.
Durkee’s research delves into the psychological as well as physiological effects of code-switching on individuals. “When you force a code switch that’s not natural to an individual, it becomes a stressor,” Durkee said. “This is the stress we are putting on people with marginalized identities, and it should get the attention of experts.”
People may engage in code-switching during their careers as a way to demonstrate a higher level of professionalism. That is, you may change the following points to suit professional “norms”:
- Standards for appearance and clothing
- dialect and speaking style
- interests and hobbies
One example of this concerns black women’s hairstyles. Black women are 80% more likely to change their natural hair to meet social norms at work.
“Our research shows that black women and white women have very different perceptions of professionalism when it comes to hairstyles,” Durkee explained. “Black women still feel that unprocessed, natural hairstyles are professional, while white women feel the opposite is true.”
If a comprehensive environment were available, people might not have to worry about intentional code-switching. There are several ways to create an inclusive environment:
- Enabling employees to stay true to themselves
- Creating safe spaces for people from different backgrounds
- embrace diversity
- Implement inclusive policies at work
- practice allyship
Code-switching is how multilingual people switch languages during a conversation. However, the term also refers to changing and adapting cultural aspects.
People may code-switch their dialect, appearance, and interests in order to be accepted, especially in the workplace. Still, code-switching may be minimized by creating an inclusive environment through behaviors such as embracing diversity and participating in alliances.
