The African Theory of Stigmatized Dialects: ‘Shembeteng’ and Communicative Dialects on an African Digital Media Space

Abstract

A new urban dialect—Shembeteng—has emerged among youth in (Nairobi, Kenya) and is quickly being utilized as a communicative dialect on the digital media space. This chapter argues that stigmatized dialects are in danger of becoming irrelevant even extinct in standard communicative spheres and a need to redefine their constructive use. The chapter examines a paradoxical contest between standardized languages and stigmatized variations in the construction of self. This contrast provides a possibility for an interpretation of what the African Theory of Stigmatized Dialects (AToSD) would look like. Using textual analysis on the case of Shembeteng among urban youth, the chapter explores the new urban variation as more complex than its former derivative Sheng.