Acceso usuarios
Simone Barco
This paper analyses the metalinguistic statements about Italo-Romance dialetti made in Italian song lyrics. The analysis shows that attitudes and ideologies expressed in pop culture often mirror widespread language beliefs in Italian society: singers are divided between those who hold a positive opinion of dialects and those with a more negative perspective. The latter tend to reflect deep-rooted stereotypes, such as the perception of dialects as inferior languages spoken by historically marginalised groups. These representations underline the media’s role in circulating cultural stereotypes and reinforcing social bias. At the same time, other artists challenge these stereotypes, advocating dialects as symbols of identity and condemning their social stigmatisation. Nonetheless, both positive and negative attitudes often rely on a rather simplified conceptions of dialect. The findings suggest that, despite the increasing use of dialects in Italian music, long-standing prejudices and stereotypes persist. The paper highlights how analysing attitudes conveyed by the media can provide a broader understanding of the language attitudes existing in society.
