ROLE DIFFERENTIATION IN THAI SOCIAL STRUCTURE IN TERMS OF A SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF THAI PRONOUNS AND ROLES
Abstract
Fourteen Thai first-person pronouns and sixty Thai social roles were scored on a common set of eleven features. Following a model of semantic feature analysis developed by Osgood, usage of the various pronouns within the various roles was predicted: appropriate (+), permissible (0), or incongrous (-) . These predictions were obtained by multiplying feature codings on the pronouns with corresponding codings on the roles; the algebraic sum of these products yielded a +, 0, or - outcome for each pronoun-role combination. Validity of the model was evaluated in terms of: the percentage of predictions which were accurate; correspondence of the semantic features with factors obtained through factor analysis; and the information revealed concerning the structure of Thai role differentiation. Fifty-three Thai high school students were asked to judge the appropriativeness of the 14 x 60 pronoun-role combinations. This data constituted the criteria for evaluating success of the semantic features and also provided material for the factor analysis. Six factors were found to describe 94% of the variance. They appeared to incorporate nine of the eleven semantic features. These, in turn, accurately predicted 85% of the Ss' specific judgments. The semantic features further revealed a hierarchic, tree-like structure within the semantic patterns of Thai pronouns and social roles.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1968
- Accession Number
- AD0672342
Entities
People
- Marilyn Wilkins
- W. Wichiarajote