Inquiry: Introducing Power
Diversity, rights, hierarchy, inequality, access, control ...
... all connect to the concept of Power in relation to language and culture. Students must explore all four concepts of Communication, Identities, Perspectives and Power within the LCS course as they all enable students to explore something important about the way language and culture interrelate. Here we start by looking at social hierarchy within culture before turning our attention to the power in language and the way it can be used to create, maintain and challenge culture.
The LCS concepts in VERY brief
Communicaton: meaning is expressed and exchanged verbally and non-verbally
Identities: the backgrounds, personalities and experiences that define individuals, groups and communities
Perspectives: individuals and communities hold varying positions on on ideas, facts, opinions, ethics and values
Power: there is a hierarchy in the structures, relationships and processes formed by society which means some individuals and groups can influence/control/govern others
Whilst you may use one concept as a lens to explore language and culture, expect natural connections to be made to the other three throughout your explorations.
Discussion questions about power in language and culture: consider the following before exploring this inquiry.
Do not worry about either right or how much you write - we are looking to see your starting point and how you might build a position on these questions as you explore the topic.
- What is considered the "standard" or "correct" language in a society? How might this convey privilege? How might other dialects or languages be marginalised?
- How is language used to define who belongs to a group and who is excluded?
- How do accents, dialects, or perceived non-native speaker status affect an individual's social standing, opportunities, and the power they are perceived to hold?
- Can language ever be used to gain power in a way that is not at the expense of someone else?
Social hierarchies
In different contexts, do you perceive some people as more important than others? And what is that importance founded on?
Our first stop in considering Power as a concept in LCS is by exploring how we see it in culture all around us.
‘a social hierarchy is a system that ranks people based on their statues, power or importance in a group or society’
www.helpful professor.com
Before watching the short video, discuss:
- The definition here
- Examples of social hierarchies in the world around you
- What could be the positive effects of this? And negative?
Create a group mindmap and then watch the video. How many of the ideas did you predict? What make you think further? Add to your mindmap any further ideas you might have.
Now let's widen our discussion to consider how power is connected to language. For this we are now delving into sociolinguistics which is the study of how language is used by different members of society.
The sociolinguistics channel: Language and Power
Power plays a part in how language is created, maintained and challenged.
Key words, phrases and topics you might discuss
linguistic capital code-switching role of algorithms in technology linguistic diversity
language as a tool to express values, beliefs and biases
language as a tool to shape the world
language as a tool to suppress, exclude and silence
- Dialect: a form of a language that people speak in a particular part of a country, containing some different words and grammar, etc.[1]
- Idiolect: the form of a language that a particular person speaks
- Sociolect: the form of a language that people in a particular social group speak
- Linguistic capital: Pierre Bourdieu describes linguistic capital as a form of cultural capital, and specifically as the accumulation of a single person's linguistic skills that predetermines their position in society as delegated by powerful institutions[2]
- Code-switching: [the] process of shifting from one linguistic code (a language or dialect) to another, depending on the social context or conversational setting. Sociolinguists, social psychologists, and identity researchers are interested in the ways in which code-switching, particularly by members of minority ethnic groups, is used to shape and maintain a sense of identity and a sense of belonging to a larger community.
Using the terms above as inspiration, as well as your discussions throughout this topic, explore in your learning journal how social hierarchies play a role in your experience of language and culture. You could do one, some or all of the following suggestions.
- What are the characteristics of the sociolect with which you are most familiar/confident speaking?
Think about specific vocabulary or slang, grammar and pronunciation and how age, class, ethnicity or occupation are connected to it. - Create a concept map which explore code-switching and your personal idiolect.
How do you change the way you speak depending on who you are with? - With a partner, can you plan and role play different examples of code-switching that you have experienced. For example you could consider ways you speak to teachers, friends, parents and bosses.
Reflection and reflexivity: How are my ‘languages’* viewed in different contexts and by different people? Would they be described as higher or lower status?
Do I have personal biases when it comes to different languages?
*'languages' here refers to all students whether monolingual or multilingual and the different ways they interact with idiolect, sociolect and dialect.
At the start of this inquiry, we considered four questions about the relationship between language, culture and power. Revisit your initial ideas and consider where you stand now? Have you changed your mind? Have you strengthened your position?
- What is considered the "standard" or "correct" language in a society? How might this convey privilege? How might other dialects or languages be marginalised?
- How is language used to define who belongs to a group and who is excluded?
- How do accents, dialects, or perceived non-native speaker status affect an individual's social standing, opportunities, and the power they are perceived to hold?
- Can language ever be used to gain power in a way that is not at the expense of someone else?
Which of the learning outcomes are particularly relevant in your explorations here?
LO1—articulate how personal identity is shaped by engaging with languages and cultures and diverse perspectives
LO2—identify their own strengths and aspirations, set personally relevant goals, and monitor their multilingual and
intercultural learning through ongoing reflection
LO3—apply communication skills and understandings to various contexts
LO4—practise reflexivity and develop self- awareness as communicators within and across languages and cultures
Footnotes
1. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/idiolect
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_capital