Language Is Power: An Analysis of Language Ideology

A prevailing and recurring theme is the power of one’s voice.  One way of understanding this concept is the use of language to delicately but purposefully to enact changes one wishes to see in the world.  Having the ability to speak provides one power in communicating individual thoughts and feelings, which is complemented by knowing what is just the right thing to say versus the most inappropriate thing to say.  Language is very powerful in that respect, but it is also influential in other ways.  Previously on the blog the concept of language dialect usage and how that can affect an individual was addressed, and today’s blog post will continue on this vein of language, power, and perception as we continue to explore these concepts.  In this blog post how and what one says will be addressed in how it can help or hinder one’s status in life.

As discussed earlier dialect has a huge effect on how one perceives you.  There are high (or culturally preferred) and low (or culturally not preferred) dialects, but one’s dialect is not the only means of privileging an individual.  How words are said, particularly in regards to pronunciation, is a key element of identifying an individual’s educational level and, in turn, sociocultural level (Figure 1).  This may not always be the case as some of the most intelligent people can make mistakes or sound “less smart” (e.g. former Presidents), but there is definitely a perception that by speaking the “lazy” way of a language means that the speaker was not taught well enough and therefore is not capable for more advanced tasks and occupations.  The same goes for word fillers, such as “ummm” and “like”, that are used to break up silence within sentences and allow a speaker to think of the specific word or words that should be spoken.  Unfortunately, these fillers add a distraction to the speaker’s message and detract from the speaker’s perception.  Case in point a drinking game was once created that involved counting the number of filler words a presenter would use in an academic conference presentation.  The presenters who used the most filler words was considered the biggest loser despite the importance of their talk, although these were typically never remembered due to the word filler distractions.  This is one of the main reasons why filler words are purposefully taught out of speech classes.

Figure 1: Language has an affect on perceptions of socioeconomic status as demonstrated here

 

But it’s not just how you say but also what you say that is important.  There are certain words that are considered taboo to say, and if they are spoken they really change the perception one has of you.  For example, women who curse are typically seen as less lady-like as cursing goes against the ideal concept of femininity.  If you use the incorrect terminology in the workplace you may be seen as less capable and looked down on by your peers.  These are relevant and important examples, but what you say goes beyond that, as well.  Sometimes what we say encourages dominant and unfair norms and privileges in our society.  For example, the terms boyfriend or girlfriend encourage the heteronormative ideal that puts forward that the best relationship is heterosexual, which diminishes homosexual relationships that exist in many societies and cultures (and are just as valuable as any other relationship!).  Therefore, being mindful of what is said can really open up inclusivity within language.  So instead of saying “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” say “partner”.  It allows for more openness in identifying who you are seeing, and in this author’s personal opinion is actually more accurate of what your significant other and your relationship should represent. 

Language and power is incredibly important.  As Pierre Bourdieu identified language is one means of symbolic capital, the immaterial aspects of culture that allows any individual to be privileged or appear better than they may or not be in reality.  As language is also a key element of culture it is also an important aspect of symbolic capital, as well as changing cultural ideals.  Next time you are involved in an interaction be sure to take a step back and watch how and what is said and how that affects the social interactions.  You may be surprised at what you learn.

Spotlight on Students: Metaphysical Magic

The following is a post written by a student, Betsy Britt.  This post highlights her work that she completed as part of her requirements in Ant 411: Culture Areas of the World.  Students have the opportunity to explore material through their own research.  Please show your appreciation for her work through the comments.

By: Betsy Britt

For our third week documentary, the class watched a film on strange beliefs. One of these beliefs was of the Azande tribe in Africa. The Azande believe in magic and witchcraft, and they use several different oracles to both tell the future and answer any important questions they might have. There is a witch doctor in the village whose job is to combat witchcraft with spells and various procedures. He also sees the evil intentions of others. They believe that the only source of witchcraft could be human beings and that it is a psychic act. During the documentary, however, I could not help but question the logic behind their separation of the mystic arts. What separates the witch doctor, whom uses what could be considered witchcraft, from the other villagers who might be using witchcraft psychically?

Before I was able to adequately answer this question, I needed to gain a better, if still broad, understanding of witchcraft. The general definition of the practice of witchcraft is “the use of preternatural power by one person to damage others” (Grinker). What can be inferred from that definition is that practicing witchcraft is evil. In fact, a focus on these practices is how to counter them, and the actual practices of it are generally overlooked when discussing them (Grinker). This helped me to gain my first answer.

A possible answer to my question is fear. Human beings tend to fear what they do not understand. Therefore, the Azande attributing bad luck, especially when death is involved, with witchcraft and evil would make sense. A person who can fight what is feared would be revered in any society. It is likely that a witch doctor would gain special privileges from the tribe in exchange for his protection.

Further research revealed that there might be more than one likely answer, though. A common hypothesis for why people are accused of practicing witchcraft is that it is a punishment of sorts. Being labelled as a witch marks one as untrustworthy, thus causing others to conform to societal norms as to avoid the same fate (Mace). This makes sense; it is generally agreed upon that practicing witchcraft has social consequences (Grinker). Witch labelling, however, has been proven to undermine trust in a society and negatively affect social cohesion (Mace). The interactions of the tribe’s people on the documentary has led me to conclude that social control is probably not the reason for the with doctor. He did not seem to be the main authority figure in the tribe.

A possible answer would also be that he is male. In contrast to women who are labelled as witches, men are seen as both practicing the act and as political figures and have authority over rituals (Grinker). The public positions of male witches are seen as making their witchcraft more tolerable than women’s, going so far as to celebrate the witchcraft of men (Grinker). While possibly the correct answer, I decided to throw it out, as I did not feel that I had enough information on gender differences in the Azande to back it up.

Another answer is that the witch doctor is trustworthy. Almost all work involving witchcraft in rural Africa states that the relationship between witch and victim correlates to the effectiveness of it (Grinker). Witchcraft might be considered safer in the hands of someone who is not seen as likely to use it with ill intentions. In that case, the witch doctor would have to be chosen carefully, as to avoid picking one who held a grudge already.

This question has several possible answers, and I feel that I would need a much more extensive understanding of the inner workings of the Azande people than I could get from a documentary or online. Again, the most likely answer is an advantage regarding gender, but I could not find enough evidence to support it. Fear is the most obvious answer, but I feel as if might be too obvious to be right.

Bibliography

Grinker, Roy R, et al. “African Witchcraft Idiom as a Discourse of History and Power.” Perspectives on Africa, 2nd ed., John Wiley and Sons, Ltd., 2010, p. 271.

Mace, Ruth. “Why Are Women Accused of Witchcraft? Study in Rural China Gives Clue.” The Conversation, The Conversation US, Inc., 8 Jan. 2018.