Language, identity, and neighborhood: A study of local identity in urban Alaska

This study explored the intersection of language, identity, and place by examining how long-time residents of Anchorage, Alaska talk about neighborhood. Building on foundational research on regional language variation (Johnstone 2004) and place-based identity (Chow and Healy 2008), this study specifically addressed two questions: (1) how do people construct neighborhood, and (2) what are the connections between participant's talk about neighborhood and their local identity. The primary focus was exploration of how Anchorage residents establish and express place identity, how place association and disassociation are connected to place identity, and how individuals define neighborhood. The study revealed that long-time residents of Anchorage have a very strong place identity associated with both Anchorage and Alaska, and that people overwhelmingly define neighborhood in social and personal terms.