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Abstract
This dissertation is the collection of three articles that are the result of my experiencewith qualitative methodologies, descriptive linguistics, and Bermuda. There are many purposesfor this research: (a) to explore aspects of the culture in which the 30 Black Bermudianparticipants selected for this study live; (b) to question and trouble sociolinguistic interviewmethodology, and (c) to describe Black Bermudian English (BBE) as used by the participants. Inthis dissertation, I explore what being Bermudian means to the 30 Black Bermudian participantsby analyzing participants answers to the primary interview question What does it mean to beBermudian? using grounded theory methodology. I found that both positive and negativeidentities emerged in the data showing who they think they are and who they think they are notin relation to the Other, the non-Bermudian. I also trouble sociolinguistic data methodologies,particularly the sociolinguistic interview and call for increased examination and critique of thecontext of the sociolinguistic interview while offering suggestions towards that critique. Sincevery little research exists on the language of Black Bermudians, I also offer a descriptive analysisof language of the 30 participants by comparing and contrasting the features of BBE with otherlanguages of the African Diaspora.