1. Language & Power

2. Practical power Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Types of Social Power Teachers over children Customers over shop assistants Newspapers over readers Actors over audiences Parents over children Bullies over victims Doctors over police officers Head teachers over teachers Instrumental Power Positional power Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Pedagogical power Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Personal power Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring Influential Power

3. Identifying Power On the following slides are some examples of different types of power taken from some students written work On the following slides are some examples of different types of power taken from some students written work How do these examples fit into the four categories? How do these examples fit into the four categories? What role does language have to play in the exercise of power in these examples? What role does language have to play in the exercise of power in these examples?

4. Its possible to talk a bully out of thumping you. Its possible to talk a bully out of thumping you. Instrumental Power Influential Power Practical power Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Pedagogical power Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Positional power Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Personal power Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring

5. When my younger sister was at primary school she wanted to be friends with a group of girls but they wanted to shut her out of the group. In order to do this they made up a code language which only the members of the group knew. When my younger sister was at primary school she wanted to be friends with a group of girls but they wanted to shut her out of the group. In order to do this they made up a code language which only the members of the group knew. Instrumental Power Influential Power Practical power Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Pedagogical power Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Positional power Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Personal power Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring

6. A computer analyst would be using words … which would exclude an outsider whose job does not come in contact with this type of work since he would not understand the work and language being used. A computer analyst would be using words … which would exclude an outsider whose job does not come in contact with this type of work since he would not understand the work and language being used. Instrumental Power Influential Power Practical power Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Pedagogical power Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Positional power Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Personal power Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring

7. If you know nothing about car maintenance, a young, black, working class car mechanic will have more power in this context due to his/her knowledge of his/her job and the technical terms related with the job. If you know nothing about car maintenance, a young, black, working class car mechanic will have more power in this context due to his/her knowledge of his/her job and the technical terms related with the job. Instrumental Power Influential Power Practical power Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Pedagogical power Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Positional power Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Personal power Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring

8. When children are learning the language, teachers can introduce them to certain words and omit others. When children are learning the language, teachers can introduce them to certain words and omit others. Instrumental Power Influential Power Practical power Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Pedagogical power Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Positional power Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Personal power Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring

9. Publishers... have the power not to publish certain books which they might not like. Because of this we dont receive the books in our shops. Publishers... have the power not to publish certain books which they might not like. Because of this we dont receive the books in our shops. Instrumental Power Influential Power Practical power Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Pedagogical power Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Positional power Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Personal power Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring

10. Received Pronunciation which is thought by the prescriptivists to be correct English originated from the public schools and is used and spoken by people with authority such as the Queen and the Royal Family. Received Pronunciation which is thought by the prescriptivists to be correct English originated from the public schools and is used and spoken by people with authority such as the Queen and the Royal Family. Instrumental Power Influential Power Practical power Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Pedagogical power Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Positional power Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Personal power Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring

11. If something is described as ethnic cleansing it seems less evil than if the same actions were described as mass murder. If something is described as ethnic cleansing it seems less evil than if the same actions were described as mass murder. Instrumental Power Influential Power Practical power Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Pedagogical power Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Positional power Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Personal power Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring

12. When my mother bought pegs from a gypsy... I asked why she had bought them. She replied that she didnt want a curse put on her and that gypsies can be very powerful if they want to be! When my mother bought pegs from a gypsy... I asked why she had bought them. She replied that she didnt want a curse put on her and that gypsies can be very powerful if they want to be! Instrumental Power Influential Power Practical power Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Pedagogical power Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Positional power Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Personal power Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring

13. If a policeman approaches a middle class man who has been caught speeding he may be more inclined to dismiss his behaviour if he manipulates his speech in order to get out of the situation. If a policeman approaches a middle class man who has been caught speeding he may be more inclined to dismiss his behaviour if he manipulates his speech in order to get out of the situation. Instrumental Power Influential Power Practical power Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Power through physical actions, violence, skill, money, goods or services Pedagogical power Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Using knowledge and ideas to influence people Positional power Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Power gained from your position in a hierarchy; this may be– backed ultimately by the law. Personal power Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring Using power to influence people through personality, nurturing or caring

14. Which of the examples did you find easier to categorise? Which of the examples did you find easier to categorise? Which examples were more difficult? Which examples were more difficult? Were some of the examples difficult to connect to the idea of power? Were some of the examples difficult to connect to the idea of power? Can you think of examples from your own experience of how language can be used to exert power over other people? Can you think of examples from your own experience of how language can be used to exert power over other people? Discussion