Graduated with MA 2014
My research interests fall within the areas of sociolinguistics and discourse analysis; specifically, I am interested in how people use language to construct a particular identity. Furthermore, my research examines the various social and institutional factors that influence people’s language use, focusing on how individuals negotiate their identity/language depending on their current speech environment. Narratives are also of particular interest to me, as I am interested to see how individuals use narratives to align themselves with a specific identity. I am currently working on my thesis, which draws upon all of the above as it investigates how gay and lesbian couples align with a “heteronormative” script as an argumentation strategy within their testimonies to pass civil union legislation.