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Communication

Theories

Finals Written Output

Ormasa, Jaybee

La Consolacion College Manila

Communication Arts

Submitted to: Mr. Jonathan DG Montes

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THE APPLICATION OF ‘MICHAEL HECHT’S COMMUNICATION THEORY OF

IDENTITY’ ON ‘THE USE OF CONYO LANGUAGE DEFINES HIGHER SOCIAL CLASS’.

I. INTRODUCTION:

“Identity, simply stated, is who you are; individuality; the condition of being a certain

person. In the social sciences, identity is defined as the way that individuals label themselves as

members of a particular group; in psychology, it refers to an individuals’ self-esteem or self-

image. We can speak about social identity, gender identity, cultural identity, religious identity,

national identity and many other identities.” Rovira, L. (2008). According to Britannica, social

class is defined as a cluster of people in a society that share the same socioeconomic status. It is

mostly based on their income and possessions. In the Philippines, three primary social classes

exist: the low-income class, the middle-income class, and the high-income class. Individuals

belong to many groups and speak the language varieties of each group. An individual can be a

member of a family, a sports club, a nation, and (unconsciously) speak in each group a variety of

‘the same’ language. They become conscious of this only if someone uses the ‘wrong’ words for

the group or does not recognize the allusions being made in a group conversation. Byram, M.

(2006).

The word conyo often refers to a language where people speak Taglish — a combination of

the English and Filipino languages — in a fussy way. Using this language may also exhibit that

speakers have limited knowledge of either language and have to code-switch. Many people,

especially, millennials and Gen-Z use the conyo language nowadays. Additionally, the conyo

term is not only considered as a language but as a social identity as well. Adolescents often use
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this, and it comes with a specific set of behaviors and mannerisms that excludes them from a

normal Filipino student. The social identity created using conyo language became a stereotype or

stigma with the people that belongs to the high-income class. This stigma, however, has negative

prospect in the society because of the image it suggests that people need to incorporate the

English language to be considered as a high-income class and the well-educated can only speak

it. Valdeavilla, R. (2018).

II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The application of “Michael Hecht’s Communication Theory of Identity” on “The Use of

Conyo Language Defines Higher Social Class”, aims to answer the following issues:

1.1 Major Problem: Why does Filipinos associate social class using ‘conyo’ language?

1.2 Minor Problems:

1.2.1 Why is it a stigma in the Filipino culture?

1.2.2 What are the reasons?

1.2.3 What are the effects?

III. THEORIZATION/APPLICATION OF EXISTING THEORY

“The communication theory of identity (CTI) was developed by communication scholar

Michael Hecht. CTI is a layered theory that conceptualizes identity as experienced at multiple

levels or layers, multifaceted and dynamic, and communicated both verbally and behaviorally in

diverse ways evolving over time.” Hecht, M. & Lu, Y. (n.d.).

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The theory states that identity has four layers/tiers: personal, consists of sense of one’s self

within a social situation. Enactment, others’ insight about you based on what you do, what you

have and how you act. Relational, who you are in relation to others, and, communal, attached to

a larger group or culture.

2.1 Relative Topics

2.1.1 Identity Layer: ‘Personal’

Scenario

Mika J., a college student in Ateneo, who is self-aware of her personal status

inside and outside the campus. In social situations, she is faced with pressure to speak in fluent

English or in a conyo language because she knows about her social status. Her personal identity

expects her to act well-educated and composed. The stigma can be a struggle because she will

act according to what she knows about herself and align it to what the society knows about her

personal identity. In the end, she tries to act like a ‘rich kid’ because of her awareness of her high

social class.

2.1.2 Identity Layer: ‘Enactment’

Scenario

Bughaw H., also a college student in an international school who has a

scholarship but is not actually considered to be included in the high-income class. However,

because of his social appearance in the society, other people’s expectation from him is higher

and judges him by what they see that he has. This explains why his way of communication
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changes because of the insight implanted by other people based on what they see in him. They

didn’t know that he is a well-educated man even if he is not included in the higher social class.

IV. AUTHORED THEORY

3.1 Title of Proposed Communication Theory

“Interrelation of Social Identity and Language in Communication Theory”

3.2 A Conceptual Model on How the Theory Operates

3.3 Explanation of the Proposed Theory

Social Identity:
Social identity has various factors that affects what your identity is in the society. It

does not only base on your social class since most of the time people doesn't have a clue about it

but merely base it on what they see and what they think you have as a person in the society.

Social class and social status can be a given factor in some people because of their renowned

name or businesses in the country. This only applies if the people you have a conversation with

knows about your social status, it can be your family and close friends. Social appearance is

often noticed by people you meet outside your close bubble. They observe your social identity by

how you project your social appearance. More often, here in the Philippines, one big factor for

people to judge your social appearance is the way you interact with other people, how you act
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online and sometimes, how you project yourself outside. Lastly, social expectations and social

impressions are usually related to each other. How people view you without knowing who you

are as a person. Many people do this as a way for them to be able to compose themselves so they

can know how they will communicate and how will they expect you to communicate to them.

The proposed theory suggests that the social identity of a person is related to their use of

language in times of communication.

Language:
The relationship built between social identity and language has become a stigma in

the Philippines. Usually, there are only two noticed and common language used but at some

point, people built the conyo language that combines the English and Tagalog language in

communication. The conyo language in the Philippines has created a fixed social identity to

people who use it. It does not just refer to how people use it but the kind of people who use it.

There are standard behaviors imposed to those people who use it. Their high-income social

status, their sophisticated and calculated social appearance and high social expectations and

impressions. This means that we, Filipinos have the tendency to connect social identity to the

language people use and vice versa.

V. CONCLUSION/SYNTHESIS

Interrelation of Social Identity and Language in Communication Theory is a

proposed theory that highlights the linkage between a communicator's Social image based on

their choice of language and vice versa. There is a stereotype held about using the conyo

language when you are known to be in the high-income class. The theory questions the isolation

of the use of English language in higher social class that explains how communication evolves

because of the social culture in the Philippines.

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VI. REFERENCES

Britannica. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-class.

Byram, M. (2006). Languages and Identities. Retrieved from: https://rm.coe.int/preliminary-

study-languages-and-identities-intergovernmental-conferenc/

16805c5d4a#:~:text=Languages%20symbolise%20identities%20and%20are,and

%20have%20many%20social%20identities.&text=Speaking%20that%20language

%2Fvariety%2Fjargon,of%20belonging%20to%20the%20group.

Pang, K. (2018). An Application of the Communication Theory of Identity: Third Culture Kids.

Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?

article=1082&context=pjcr.

Rovira, L. (2008). The Relationship Between Language and Identity. The Use of Home

Language as a Human Right of the Immigrant. Retrieved from:

https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/4070/407042009004.pdf.

Valdeavilla, R. (2018). Conyo: The Philippine Language that Defined a Social Class. Retrieved

from: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/conyo-the-philippine-language-

that-defined-a-social-class/.