Language and Power Normal Fairclough Discourse Flashcards
Outline Wareing (1999)’s power classifications.
Wareing gave us three more methods of classifying power.
Political.
Personal.
Social group.
Define political power.
Power that is held by politicians, the police and those working in the law courts.
Define personal power.
Those who hold power as a result of their occupation or role such as teachers and employers.
Define social group.
Those who hold power as a result of social variables such as class, gender and age.
Outline the main points of the Fairclough model.
Unequal encounter.
Synthetic personalisation.
Power in discourse.
Power behind discourse.
Define an unequal encounter.
This is an alternative term for an asymmetrical encounter, highlighting the power one speaker has over another.
Define synthetic personalisation.
This is the process of addressing mass audiences as though they were individuals through inclusive language.
Define power in discourse.
Power is manifested in situations through language. This is where power situations are set up and intact. This will focus on language use and how power is exercised.
What is said.
Define power behind discourse.
This is backed by an institution, social or ideological reasons. This is concerned with he organisation of institutions and effects of these power relations on various use of language. This refers to contextualising linguistic features according to wider ideologies, hierarchical structures and power relationships.
Why it is said.
What did Fairclough believe?
He believed that social situations are shaped by power dynamics. His idea of ‘power behind discourse’ looks at power dynamics between the two speakers themselves and how their current situation affects their power asymmetry, or difference.
