Language nuances and socioeconomic outcomes

Abstract

While language enables communication, it also provides a reassuring quality more closely related with issues linked with trust, social capital, and cultural identification. Research on the role of language as a learning process is widespread but there is little evidence on its role as a signal for cultural affinity. We pursue this latter avenue of research and show that subtle language affinity is positively linked with change in socioeconomic outcome variables when using English-speaking data for cities in the Golden Horseshoe area in Southern Ontario during the period 1991 to 2001. © 2010 American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Inc.