Chapter 9: The Dynamics of Intergroup Communication This presentation will highlight chapter 9 discussing the creative powers of language in social cognition and through intergr… Show More

1. CHAPTER 9
Tannia Marshall
Communication Diversity 2022 Discussion/Presentation Activity
Chapter 9: The creative power of language in social cognition and intergroup relations
October 16th, 2022

2. Prologue: Language
Challenges in the 21st
Century
◦ Publication: Journal of Language and Social Psychology 2020
◦ Authors:
◦ Birney, Megan E.1
Roessel, Janin2
Hansen, Karolina3
Rakić, Tamara4
◦ MLA Citation
◦ Birney, Megan E., et al. “Prologue: Language Challenges in the 21st Century.” Journal of
Language & Social Psychology, vol. 39, no. 4, Sept. 2020, pp. 428–37. EBSCOhost,
https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X20933315.
◦ APA Citation
◦ Birney, M. E., Roessel, J., Hansen, K., & Rakić, T. (2020). Prologue: Language Challenges in
the 21st Century. Journal of Language & Social Psychology, 39(4), 428–437.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X20933315

3. Summary and
Purpose of Article
◦ Prologue: Language challenges in the 21st century highlight exactly what
the title says, challenges that we face in society and within our own
intergroup today when it comes to communicating across language
vessels. With migration increasing with different individuals spreading
culture and language this can create a problem when communicating.
For example, it can be difficult for people who speak different languages
to understand each other because they don't share a common language
or dialect. Language challenges are everywhere. We as a society often
do not recognize the challenges due to us normalizing the
communication and situation.
◦ This article discusses why language challenges are important highlighting
the
1) Importance of language to an intergroup
2) How does language change power within intergroup dynamics
3) The connection between language and cognition
This article helps the audience have documented research on the power of
processing language in society and interact while covering the power of
language in intergroup communication.
This article allows us to further think about challenges affect our lives and
how we can overcome them.

4. Researchers investigating
◦ Within the article, researchers discover that as migration,
immigration, and updated mobility technology increased so does
the interaction of communication of various linguistics is dispersed.
Linguistics is the scientific study of the structure of a language’s
morphology, syntax, phonetics, and semantics. Researchers have
also investigated that it is critical for individuals to have a
language for it shapes one's social realities, norms, and ideologies
amongst intergroups.
◦ Researchers also discovered that language shape’s intergroup
dynamics benefiting the cognition and communication of
understanding one another. (Muniz-Velazquez & Pulido, 2019)
◦ An example used is that positive communication of an intergroup
can become relevant when communicating with others on topics
such as promoting diversity and minority lives matter.

5. Researcher’s findings
◦ Research has found that data on the power of language is a powerful tool when applied to social cognition
and intergroup relations. It can influence the way we think about things and the way we interact with others,
especially when we use it to communicate with members of different groups. Social cognition refers to the
way that humans process information from their environment by making inferences about the motivations
and intentions of other people (Birney, 2020). Language plays an important role in this process because
language itself is a social phenomenon.
◦ The creative power of language in social cognition has been analyzed discovering a symbolic piece of
information that communication takes place not just through our words, but through the way we use them.
When we talk, our words are shaped by the context they're used in, which means that our words can change
meaning depending on how they're used.
◦ The creative power of language in intergroup dynamics is used to understand our place in society, including
how people from different backgrounds might think and feel about one another. Language can be used to
describe ourselves and others. Researches have found is important that this tool amongst others can be used
by those with power over others—and those without it. We should also be mindful of how we choose words
when discussing issues of race, class, gender and sexuality. Language can be used to reinforce
discriminatory, stereotype and negative feedback of judging others in an intergroup.

6. Conclusion &
Summary of
Chapter 9
◦ Chapter 9 of the textbook focuses on two topics.
One being the power of language in social
cognition has been studied extensively by
psychologists, sociologists, and linguists.
Language in social cognition is not only used to
communicate in a way that is symbolic to us, but
as well how we identify, represent ourselves, and
categorize information in our own experiences.
◦ The second topic chapter 9 focuses on the
power of language for intergroup relations and
dynamics. Language can be used to create a
sense of community or unity, individuals sharing a
common language understanding one another
provides a sense of identity and self-worth for
individual members within the group.

7. Connection of
Article to
Chapter 9
The connections that have been founded within the article and chapter 9
are the themes:
1) Importance of language to an intergroup
2) How does language change power within intergroup dynamics
3) The connection between language and cognition
The importance of language to an intergroup in the textbook discusses
how language is an important vessel and barrier that is used to
communicate, connect, understand and trust one another. As we use our
original language when communicating with others we are opening an
open-minded channel to express ourselves, our ideas, beliefs,
background, and culture. Language has the power to also be used to see
how others perceive us.
The article I have selected showers further research finding that language
has created barriers through power. That power is over language and how
we express ourselves and ideas and how we process the information
given to us. Language can also now today detect which group you belong
to and what you do not identify yourself as. Language has the power of
describing an intergroup’s characteristics.

8. How does language change power within intergroup dynamics?
CONNECTION
◦ Chapter 9 of the textbook highlights the theme of language having the power to change intergroup
dynamics. Language can be used to create a sense of community or unity, individuals sharing a
common language and understanding one another provide a sense of identity and self-worth for
individual members within the group as described in the textbook. Language is the primary tool for
expression and communication that comes in sentences, phrases, symbols, and images. For an outside
group to look in on an intergroup can encourage the intergroup dynamics to become strong to support
the ideas they believe in. In the past, language-changing intergroup dynamics have become aware
due to acts of violence and justice taking place and intergroup not winning for victory.
◦ Today in the article I choose Intergroups to use language to change the dynamics to being powerful in
what they believe in. Intergroups identifying themselves with particular beliefs are making a change in
being outspoken not in just person face to face, but as well as on the multimedia platform. Intergroups
are reaching out and becoming more connected having the access to express their culture with a
better understanding. Today language plays an important role in reinforcing and distributing power
dynamics. In particular, language can be used to make a group feel less powerful than another group,
which can lead them to act in ways that reinforce their own perceived status. Today, individuals and
intergroup are more outspoken with movements, through media platforms and spreading information.

9. The connection between language and
cognition
CONNECTION
◦ Chapter 9 discusses how there is a connection between the power of language and the cognition of individuals as well
as intergroup. Language is a crucial part of how we perceive and interact with the world, so it makes sense that our
linguistic abilities would affect how we think.
◦ Language can help people think by creating an environment where they can share ideas with others who may have
different perspectives or experiences than them. When people are able to express themselves effectively through
language, they are able to better understand their own thoughts and feelings, as well as those of others. This encourages
them to consider alternative perspectives and opinions on issues, leading to an open mind with open ideas.
◦ One of the most notable ways in which language affects communication is through cognition. Cognition refers to the
process of thinking, perceiving, and remembering information in a pattern and being able to identify and recognize it.
Social cognition is influenced by language and culture influencing your processing memory and how you will react.
◦ Researchers with new technology and a better understanding have discovered that culture takes a toll on social
cognition affecting how will respond to react based on their experiences within their own culture what is normalized to
them and what is not. Based on one’s background and how one identifies themselves with their intergroup will determine
what is ethically right and wrong and how it connects to them as a whole.
◦ The article chosen highlights researchers’ findings that the subject of language affects cognition through perception.
Direct effects and indirect effects of language affect the processing and reacting moment. Direct effects are caused by
the linguistic features themselves—for example, whether or not a word has a written form or whether it has multiple
meanings. Indirect effects are caused by other aspects of language that are not directly related to words—for example,
whether or not a language has gender markers or number markers.

10. Discussion
Questions
1) How does intergroup cognition affect language in the group?
2) Do you think that intergroup change language vessels based
on social interactions? If, so How? And why do you think
intergroups make a change?
3) Has a social situation ever had the power to change your
language when interacting with others? If so, list an example
and why you think you had a change in the situation.

11. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS,
COMMENTS, OR CONCERNS
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK