Accentism: is it time for protected status?

A recent study from Northumbria University has suggested that people with strong northern English accents are viewed as ‘less intelligent’ and ‘less educated’ than their southern counterparts. The study, titled Speaking of Prejudice, which was reported in The Times, concluded that accentism causes “profound” social, economic and educational harm for those with ‘denigrated accents’ in the UK. Accentism is a term used to describe any situation in which a person feels as though they have been unfairly treated, judged or commented on because of the way they speak, write and communicate.

This latest research continues a consistent theme with other recent studies, including the government’s own Social Mobility Commission, which published a report stating that those entering the civil service from vastly underrepresented disadvantaged backgrounds need to master “unwritten rules” to get ahead, including adopting the “right accent” to be promoted through the organisation.

Kent Business School has also found that social mobility, i.e., the link between an individual’s occupation and income and their social strata in society, is likely to generate class-based work-life conflict.

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