Language and Power

Description

Language and Power is a course on society, ideology and politics that analyzes language use in relation to power. Language empowers us to transfer information, share imagination and construct our history. Through language we transfer information, communicate, create and sustain communities, manage social discourse and spread ideologies. We use language power to control political, economic and social domains, manipulate the public, advertise products, forefront political agenda, and gain control over minds as well as territories. The power of language is also exercised in marginalizing minorities, migrants and indigenous languages.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will have:
– Gained insights into the factors endorsing power in language;
– Explored questions on the interaction of language, ideology, communication and power;
– Discussed relevant theoretical literature;
– Investigated assigned topics independently by collecting and analyzing data;
– Applied what learned in class to current problems and posed questions;
– Framed a research project by a relevant theory and collected primary data to document it;
– Presented the project in class and wrote up a research paper, following a relevant thesis, research questions and a strategy.