Essex Teenage Girls Modify Accents Due to Stereotypes, Research Indicates

A study has indicated that teenage girls in Essex experience pressure to alter their speech patterns because of negative stereotypes. The research, which examined the sentiments of 10 young individuals from Westcliff High School for Girls in Westcliff-on-Sea, concluded that they perceived themselves as “blighted by persistent negative” connotations associated with residing in the county, according to the University of Essex. Dr. Tara McAllister-Viel stated, “They said the perception is that an Essex girl is unintelligent, uncreative and they don’t feel that stereotype represents them at all.” The researcher, affiliated with the university’s East 15 Acting School, facilitated the teenagers’ expression of their feelings through spoken word poetry they had composed. These poems have subsequently been transformed into an audio exhibition, which is being presented at Clifftown Theatre in Southend-on-Sea from 7 to 10 November. Dr. McAllister-Viel commented, “These girls are at such an exciting moment in their lives when their identities are shifting and they are trying to learn who they are.” She further noted, “But they don’t think teenagers, particularly teenage girls, are taken seriously.” The study revealed that the girls experienced an impetus to modify their accents when relocating between various regions. A number of them were reportedly enrolling in courses to acquire the ability to speak “properly” without an Essex accent. One participant, a teenager, expressed pride in sounding like her Essex-born mother but conveyed apprehension about needing to alter her voice for future travel. Dr. McAllister-Viel observed that hearing the concerns directly from the girls lent greater “potency” to their statements. She elaborated, “Spoken word poetry is perfect for this type of reflection because it is generated out of someone’s life experiences.” She concluded, “It puts them out there for a listener to hear and gives you an opportunity to change someone’s mind about you.”