Accent prejudice has become too “subtle” and “normalised” in Irish culture, according to a linguistics expert. 

Accent-based prejudice refers to poorer treatment of someone or a community based on the way they speak, according to UCD Professor Stephen Lucek. 

The American-born linguistics expert told Younified people can be prejudiced towards those outside or within their own country. 

“It could be as simple as someone from the north side of Dublin and someone from the south side of Dublin,” he said. 

“I know this probably sounds obvious to most people... but there's a very specific way of understanding the different dynamics within language, and that's where accentism comes in. 

“You could say you like a low-pitched voice – you could even say you like someone with a Cork accent, that it’s attractive. 

“But where it gets dicey is if you are in a position of power and you say I don't want anybody with a high-pitched voice to work in my company.” 

Accent prejudice

Entrepreneur Dr Toluwani Akaehomen addresses prejudice in the workplace – and she said accent prejudice is among the most “subtle” forms. 

“People have an inclination to view people who have the same accents as themselves more positively,” she said. 

“You have that unconscious emotional reaction to somebody who shares a similar accent - I remember going to the UK, the lady in front of me said something to the cashier, and she said, ‘Oh, that's grand’ and immediately my heart was filled with joy. 

“On the other hand, people who come from the northside of Dublin, or a particular part of Dublin or the country face that kind of discrimination, because they speak differently.” 

She recalled a time when she used to work in a bank, answering phone calls. 

“Someone actually said to me, 'When you get somebody that's from Ireland, call me back',” she said. 

“It happens a lot to Africans, particularly refugees and migrants, and people assume that when they don't speak English in a particular way, then they have very little education or very little job skills.” 

Protecting against prejudice

Dr Lucek pointed out that this form of prejudice remains so “normalised” because it isn’t a protected class like gender, religion or sexuality. 

“The good starting place is putting it into the legislation,” he said. 

“This is why there was an Equality Amendment Bill which protected socioeconomic class, and within a socioeconomic class, specifically section 2G mentions social and regional accent. 

“We should be including accent, whether it be social, regional, national, hemispheric - this is something that should be in every level of protection.” 

Listen back here: