Language and power

Question 1

David Crystal

Answer 1

• 2008
• argues lang is not just to serve a transactional function
• the words we use reflect the feelings we wish to convey, including power

Question 2

instrumental power

Answer 2

power used by groups to maintain and enforce authority, already have social hierarchy
e.g teachers, judges

Question 3

influential power

Answer 3

power used to influence / persuade others e.g. advertisers

Question 4

imbedded assumptions

Answer 4

assuming a reaction/desire from the audience

Question 5

assertions

Answer 5

opinions states as facts

Question 6

loaded lexis

Answer 6

emotive language forcing audience to feel strongly about something

Question 7

features of instrumental power

Answer 7

• formal register
• specialist lexis
• imperatives
• modal auxiliaries of obligation
• conditionals
• faceless language (collectives)
• mitigation (politeness)

Question 8

Fairclough

Answer 8

• power behind discourse created through status (occupation) gives a level of power and trust
• suggested four devices are used by powerful participants:

Eat Tropical Food Immediately

E - enforcing explicitness
T - topic control
F - formulating
I - interruptions

also coined power in discourse and power behind discourse

Question 9

FC: enforcing explicitness

Answer 9

after the less powerful participant has said something, the powerful one may say “so do you mean…” and enforce a stronger answer

Question 10

FC: topic control

Answer 10

powerful participant can decide what topic is being discussed (questioning)

Question 11

FC: formulating

Answer 11

repeating or summarising what the less powerful participant has said

Question 12

FC: interruptions

Answer 12

can stop less powerful participant talking

Question 13

FC: power in discourse

Answer 13

the way in which power is demonstrated in situations through language

Question 14

FC: power behind discourse

Answer 14

focus on the social and ideological reasons behind the enactment of power

Question 15

Coulthard and Sinclair

Answer 15

• 1975
• initiation response and feedback
• questions are asked where the asker already knows the answer
• lawyers, teachers

Question 16

Winnick

Answer 16

• 1976

- humour can be used to gain authority or criticise someones attempt at authority

Question 17

Brown and Levinson

Answer 17

• 1978
• the politeness theory
• by being polite, you are claiming positive social values in social interactions

Question 18

John Morreall

Answer 18

• 1997

- humour was used in the workplace to maintain good working relations, rather than establishing a sense of power

Question 19

Wareing

Answer 19

3 types of power:
political
personal
social

Question 20

prestige

Answer 20

to have respect / status

Question 21

covert prestige

Answer 21

values of toughness, honesty, humour

Question 22

overt prestige

Answer 22

values of intelligence, education, wealth

Question 23

Holmes and Stubbe

Answer 23

• 2003

- power is something we ‘do’ not something we have

Question 24

Morris Halle

Answer 24

Super-dominant people don’t need to interrupt

Question 25

James and Clarke

Answer 25

• 1992

- interruption is a good dominance strategy

Question 26

Drew and Heritage

Answer 26

• 1992
• asymmetry is part of occupational language
• asymmetrical address: power imbalance shown in unequal forms of address e.g. Mr Jones (boss), Micheal (employee)

Question 27

John J. Gumperz

Answer 27

• discourse strategies
• repressive discourse strategy: A way of showing power by being indirect e.g. collectives, mitigation
• oppressive discourse strategy: A way of showing power by being direct and openly blunt e.g. imperatives