Powerful institutions and individuals use language to both construct and maintain their power. Language is necessary for the maintenance of power, while the power of language relies on the power of those using it. Studying how people use language through discourse analysis can reveal power dynamics and help understand behavior. Language can be used to exert power over societies by establishing official languages that empower some and exclude others. Micro-level linguistic cues in interactions and macro-level control of public discourse also demonstrate relationships of power.

1. Week 4 Language and
Power
Dr. Russell Rodrigo

2. Outline
1. Macro Power & Micro Power
“Critical Language Awareness in Action”
2. Discourse Analysis: News & Media

3. What is the relationship between language
and power?
Powerful institutions and individuals use language as both a means
to construct their power and as a way to maintain it. Language thus
becomes necessary for the maintenance of power, and the power
and effect of language in turn rely on the power of individuals and
institutions themselves

4. How does language have a power?
Speaking, writing and reading are integral to everyday life, where
language is the primary tool for expression and communication.
Studying how people use language – what words and phrases they
unconsciously choose and combine – can help us better
understand ourselves and why we behave the way we do.

5. What is the role of language in
Power Relationships?

6. The Role of Language in Power
Relationships
► Linguistic cues that individuals engaged in the conversation may use or perceive as
indicators of power relations.
► Is one speaker more dominant or subservient?
► Is one more conciliatory or aggressive?
► Is one asserting knowledge or ignorance
Language can be used to exert power over entire communities or societies.
For example, in countries where multiple languages are spoken, the choice of one or
two particular languages as the official language of politics, government, education,
healthcare, and so on, can empower some citizens while excluding or minimizing
others.

7. “Micro-Power”
in Linguistic Interactions

8. Power in Talk
► Who leads?
► Who interrupts?
► Who chooses or changes topic?
► Who interrupts?
► What use is made of tags, fillers, and hedges?
► What politeness strategies are evident?
► As a result of these factors, which participant(s) is/are
dominant/submissive?

10. Ways of Categorizing Power
1. Political – held by politicians, police, law, etc.
2. Personal – as a result of a person’s job i.e. an employer will have
personal power over an employee merely as a result of their role.
3. Social group – a person’s social class, gender, age, will affect this.
The people with most power in this respect are white, middle class,
middle aged males.

11. Types of Power
1. Instrumental – used by individuals to maintain and
enforce authority.
2. Influential – when the power is used to influence
others.

12. Asymmetrical Power
The idea that one person has power over the other.
They are not equal.
►Teacher - student
►Parent - child
►Friend - friend
►Boss - employee

13. Other Ideas
Powerful participant
► speaker with higher status in given context who is able to impose a degree of
power.
Less powerful participant
► Speakers with less status in a given context who are subject to constraints
imposed by the powerful participant(s).
Constraints
► A way in which the powerful participant blocks or controls the contributions of
the less powerful participants (e.g. by interruption or controlling content)

14. Power in Conversations
►Superior Position Assertion: E.g. I am king of the castle.
►Literal meaning of the spoken words of servant: I bow to your
lordship’s wishes.
►Meek response: Uh, well, yes, um, thank you
The power relationships expressed by language are defined by
those who use language rather than by any inherent properties
of the language. In different cultures, stereotypes about various
aspects of language use (e.g. talkativeness, loudness, or silence)
are associated with different values.

15. Power in Conversations
Examples:
Malagasy men: stereotypically silent in public confrontations
Malagasy women: More socially acceptable for women to express
anger and criticism through direct, confrontational speech, often to
the advantage of their husbands or other male family members.
Western Cultures value direct, public speech. “Strong, silent style” is
valued but there is clearly no direct link between silence and higher
worth in all cultures.

16. Micro-Analysis: Four Domains of
Language
Phenomena Issues
1.Structure morphology, syntax, discourse
(spoken/written)
genre characteristics, orality,
efficiency, expressivity, complexity
2.Meaning meaning of words, utterance (speech
acts), semantics, pragmatics, strategic
language, figures of speech
What the speaker intends, what is
accomplished through language
3.Interaction turns, sequences, exchanges, threads, the
role of culture in shaping and interpreting
interaction
interactivity, timing, coherence,
topic development
4.Social
Behavior
Linguistic expressions of status, conflict,
negotiation, face-management, play;
discourse styles
Social dynamics, power, influence,
identity

17. Practice
Do a micro-analysis of the video on the next slide.

19. “Macro-Power”
in Linguistic Interactions

20. Critical Sociolinguistics
►Critical sociolinguistics is interested in:
►Ideology - a system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis
of economic or political theory and policy.
►Hegemony - leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social
group over others.
►Resistance - denaturalizing ideology & viewing discourse in terms of
registers, which vary according to context instead of holding true in all spaces
and times.

21. What is public discourse?
"Public discourse" signifies speeches, publications and other statements made in pursuit of
the public good. Public discourse defines and limits the powers of the government, but also of
individuals. (Sellers, 2003).
Public discourse plays a vital role in open, democratic societies. It is an important forum
through which people can voice their concerns and form opinions.
For example, if you are debating the value of buffalo chicken wings versus BBQ chicken
with a friend; you are engaged in discourse. When discussions focus on national issues
that are followed by or affect large sections of a population, they become part of the
public discourse.

25. What Does the Emphasis On
CONTENT Enable Us to See?
►Beyond form & function, this perspective allows us to think
about the ways in which language conventions may be
dysfunctional for certain groups.
►According to Mesthrie, Critical Linguistics allows us to more easily
frame questions like:
►Which social group is dominant in public speech and writing?
►Which groups are merely ‘represented’ and by what means?
►Levels of Analysis: Micro & Macro

26. Macro Power:
“Critical Language Awareness in Action”
Two major examples:
► Newspaper Reporting
► “Smart Bombs,” “Surgical Strikes,” “Collateral Damages,” “Counterinsurgencies.”
► Sexist Language
Activity
► What, if any, are the political consequences of using “patriarchal/sexist”
language?]

27. “Critical Language Awareness in
Action” (p. 323)
► Ads as an Example of Discourse
► A Mobile Army of Metaphors: Language of the Super powerful
► The Art of Propaganda
► Resistance to Powerful Language
► The weapons of the Weak
► Anti-Language: Debates about Sexism: Successful Resistance?

32. Practice:
Watch the video of Trump and Clinton’s presidential debate. Analyze the
following:
1. Micro (structure, meaning/message, interactions, social behavior)
2. Macro
a. Context (exigence, topic, target audience)
b. Control of Public Discourse
c. Power as Control (source of power, types of power, types of
responses)
d. Mind Control

34. Group work Assignment:
Short presentation next meeting.
► What are the topics/areas that you want to examine in the news and
media topic?
a. Micro (structure, meaning/message, interactions, social behavior)
b. Macro
i. Context (exigence, topic, target audience)
ii. Control of Public Discourse
iii.Power as Control (source of power, types of power, types of
responses)
iv.Mind Control
► E.g. biased representations of “us” and “them”, supremacist
derogation, power and domination in politics, etc.