restricted (adj.)

A term used by British sociologist Basil Bernstein (1924–2000) to refer to one of two VARIETIES (or CODES) of LANGUAGE use, introduced as part of a general theory of the nature of social systems and social roles, the other being ELABORATED. Restricted code was thought to be used in relatively informal situations, stressing the speaker’s membership of a group, was very reliant on CONTEXT for its meaningfulness (e.g. there would be several shared expectations and assumptions between the speakers), and lacked STYLISTIC range. Linguistically, it was highly predictable, with a relatively high proportion of such features as PRONOUNS, TAG QUESTIONS, and use of gestures and INTONATION to convey MEANING. Elaborated code, by contrast, was thought to lack these features. The correlation of restricted code with certain types of social-class background, and its role in educational settings (e.g. whether children used to this code will succeed in schools where elaborated code is the norm – and what should be done in such cases), brought this theory considerable publicity and controversy, and the distinction has since been reinterpreted in various ways.