Why It Happens, Benefits, Risks

A term first used in the twentieth century, code-switching is when people who speak more than one language or dialect alternate using those languages or dialects within a single conversation. However, this practice has taken on another meaning.

Code-switching can also refer to any member of a marginalized or underrepresented identity adapting to the dominant environment around them in any context. Individuals who code-switch may do so to fit in and potentially gain acceptance from others. Here’s more about code-switching, including examples, benefits, risks, and more.

Some examples of code-switching include changing your language or dialect to assimilate into the predominant culture. One person may primarily speak English if their first language is Spanish. Someone else may speak Standard American English in another environment even though they commonly speak African American Vernacular English (AAVE), another dialect of English, at home or with family.

“Generally speaking, code-switching is about finding effective ways to communicate with another person,” said psychologist Beverly Tatum, PhD, race relations expert and author of “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations About Race,” told Health. “If someone speaks to another person in a language the other person understands or in a style that puts that person at ease, the likelihood of making a connection with that person increases.”

Code-switching can also be about altering your appearance to fit the norm of your environment. When a visual profile is associated with certain marginalized groups, a member of one of those groups may avoid the traditional dress associated with their culture or religion. They may even attempt to dress beyond their social class when presented with an environment that demands it.

Why a person code-switches depends on whether their environment encourages a strict assimilating culture or fosters diversity and difference. “Trying to find common ground with others is not harmful by itself,” said Tatum. “It becomes harmful if you have to deny your own sense of identity in order to do so.”

Many people alter their behaviors to fit in or advance professionally. However, the ability to code-switch is a skill set—one that can be developed and mastered to the point where one does it subconsciously, according to Tatum and Myles Durkee, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Michigan who studies code-switching’s mental and physiological effects.

“First you have to read the room, understand the audience, and then pick up on those cues quickly enough to demonstrate those cues, and make it appear authentic,” explained Durkee. “Your audience can evaluate you more negatively for ‘trying too hard’ if not done effectively.”

Neither Tatum nor Durkee considers code-switching harmful if done at will—rather than as a means of survival or personal advancement. In other words, if code-switching becomes a subconscious behavior, the mental health risks could be minimized.

Sometimes, the goal of code-switching is the benefit of being accepted. “From both experimental and correlational work, code-switching has its benefits in the workplace, particularly for Black individuals,” said Durkee. “Black people who code-switch in the workplace are perceived as more professional by both Black and White colleagues.”

Tatum agreed that code-switching is a way to gain acceptance. “When a person from a stigmatized group (which could be based on race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, etc.) is interacting with people in a non-stigmatized group, they may code-switch to play down their group membership in order to fit in and be accepted,” said Tatum. “That might help them advance in their career or feel included at school.”

Also, people often engage in subconscious cultural code-switching, and cultural code-switching studies rely on self-reports. With that in mind, Durkee believed many individuals may underreport how often they’re code-switching—making it harder to document the benefits or drawbacks.

One study explored the relationship between code-switching and its potential psychological consequences. The researchers noted that code-switching could end up depleting others’ ability to see an individual as they are or result in professional issues such as burnout and emotional exhaustion.

Durkee’s research delved into not only the mental effects but also the physiological effects of code-switching on individuals. “When we force individuals to code-switch when it doesn’t come naturally to them, it’s now a stressor,” said Durkee. “It’s a stress we’re putting on people from marginalized identities, and that should be on the professional radar.”

People may engage in code-switching during their careers as a way to exhibit a better level of professionalism. That means that they might engage in changing the following to fit professional “norms”:

• Appearance and dress standards
• Dialect and style of speech
• Interests and hobbies

One example of this concerns Black women’s hairstyles. Black women are 80% more likely to change their natural hair to meet societal norms for work.

“In my research, I found that Black and White women have very different perceptions of professionalism of hairstyles,” explained Durkee. “Black women feel that their natural, unprocessed hairstyles are still professional, but White women feel the opposite.”

When inclusive environments are available, people may not have to worry about intentional code-switching. The following are ways to create inclusive environments:

• Allow employees to be true to themselves
• Create a safe space for people from different backgrounds
• Embrace diversity
• Implement inclusive policies in the workplace
• Practice allyship

Code-switching is a method of multilingual individuals switching between languages in conversation. However, the term also refers to changing cultural aspects to fit in.

A person might code-switch with their dialect, appearance, or interests to gain acceptance—especially in the workplace. Still, you can potentially minimize code-switching by creating inclusive environments through actions like embracing diversity and engaging in allyship.