Urgent: Any sociolinguists out there aware of honorific-use research?
Hello, my name is Julie Scelfo and I'm a reporter affiliated with The New York Times. I'm writing about how adults in my community ask my children to call them by their first names, whereas I prefer they use honorariums and call them Mr. Smith, or Ms. Jones, etc.
I'm trying to find out whether any sociolinguists have studied this issue, or if there have been any journal articles written about it, or if anyone out there is interested in the subject and has further information? Specifically, I am curious if anyone has tracked or measured the use of honorariums in speech in the United States, and if there are measures of how their use is growing or diminishing by region.
Thank you for your consideration. I am on deadline for tomorrow and would be grateful for any and all leads or suggestions.
Sincerely,
Julie Scelfo
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