Language and power Flashcards
David Crystal
- 2008
- argues lang is not just to serve a transactional function
- the words we use reflect the feelings we wish to convey, including power
instrumental power
power used by groups to maintain and enforce authority, already have social hierarchy
e.g teachers, judges
influential power
power used to influence / persuade others e.g. advertisers
imbedded assumptions
assuming a reaction/desire from the audience
assertions
opinions states as facts
loaded lexis
emotive language forcing audience to feel strongly about something
features of instrumental power
- formal register
- specialist lexis
- imperatives
- modal auxiliaries of obligation
- conditionals
- faceless language (collectives)
- mitigation (politeness)
Fairclough
- 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
FC: enforcing explicitness
after the less powerful participant has said something, the powerful one may say “so do you mean…” and enforce a stronger answer
FC: topic control
powerful participant can decide what topic is being discussed (questioning)
FC: formulating
repeating or summarising what the less powerful participant has said
FC: interruptions
can stop less powerful participant talking
FC: power in discourse
the way in which power is demonstrated in situations through language
FC: power behind discourse
focus on the social and ideological reasons behind the enactment of power
Coulthard and Sinclair
- 1975
- initiation response and feedback
- questions are asked where the asker already knows the answer
- lawyers, teachers
Winnick
- 1976
- humour can be used to gain authority or criticise someones attempt at authority
Brown and Levinson
- 1978
- the politeness theory
- by being polite, you are claiming positive social values in social interactions
John Morreall
- 1997
- humour was used in the workplace to maintain good working relations, rather than establishing a sense of power
Wareing
3 types of power:
political
personal
social
prestige
to have respect / status
covert prestige
values of toughness, honesty, humour
overt prestige
values of intelligence, education, wealth
Holmes and Stubbe
- 2003
- power is something we ‘do’ not something we have
Morris Halle
Super-dominant people don’t need to interrupt
James and Clarke
- 1992
- interruption is a good dominance strategy
Drew and Heritage
- 1992
- asymmetry is part of occupational language
- asymmetrical address: power imbalance shown in unequal forms of address e.g. Mr Jones (boss), Micheal (employee)
John J. Gumperz
- 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
