Language and Power

Language and Power
Main theorists

Norman Fairclough- shows that many interactions are ‘unequal encounters’; that language choice is created by certain social ‘power’ situations or ‘power type’ discourse of kinds accepted as ‘normal’ for that kind of encounter, an example would be a manager/worker or doctor/patient conversation (or, in a text, the use of stereotypes or other ideological ideas).

Irving Goffman- shows how politeness and impoliteness can show or create influence and persuasion. it is usually known as the ‘Face Saving  or threatening acts'.

• power behind discourse, context
• power in discourse
• There are two types of power instrumental and influential 
• there is a dominant person within the conversation- set the agenda, interrupt, over lapse
  


Initiate the conversation
Set the agenda
Control the topics
Reinforce the required behaviour through positive feedback
Interrupt
Overlap
- See more at: http://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/english-language/language-and-power#sthash.aDEmYUwt.dpuf



Initiate the conversation
Set the agenda
Control the topics
Reinforce the required behaviour through positive feedback
Interrupt
Overlap
- See more at: http://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/english-language/language-and-power#sthash.aDEmYUwt.dpuf



Initiate the conversation
Set the agenda
Control the topics
Reinforce the required behaviour through positive feedback
Interrupt
Overlap
- See more at: http://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/english-language/language-and-power#sthash.aDEmYUwt.dpuf

• there is a submissive participant- respond rather than intinate, use more of a respectfully form of address, use fillers and vague language
•  The lexis used in language and power texts varies:
  
  formal, informal, colloquial, slang, jargon, archaic or dialect, Prestige / covert prestige Semantic fields can be very influential. Mood and tone can be very persuasive depending on the text and also Metaphors, puns, irony and other types of figurative language its mainly emotive language.