Language, Ideology and Power Essay Institutions have the power to foster particular kinds of identities to suit their own purposes. With reference to one or more institutional contexts, explain how power materialises in discourses. Introduction Language is the fundamental persuasive device. When we speak, we do not simply speak words but we discursively produce social identities, ideologies and power relations. This idea that language harnesses the performative power to construct ideological meanings and power structures in social contexts introduces the concept of discourse. Discourses are particularly slippery to define; according to Structuralist theories discourse is “language above the line” (Stubbs, 1983:1), that being, discourses …show more content…
Instead, adopting a Conversational Analysis approach, this essay is concerned with Political interviews. Firstly, because of the contextualised formality that constitutes this as institutional discourse, and secondly, as the interview format exacerbates features of interaction (i.e. turn taking) that are not present in ordinary interaction. This essay will suggest the latter of the two. This essay will also posit the ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions – what is it about institutional discourse that influences the ways people talk in it – with the ‘how’ question concerned with CA, that is, how power is enacted through communicative conduct i.e. turns at …show more content…
According to Halliday’s Systemic Functional Theory (Halliday, 1976), language is a resource speakers use to achieve communicative goals. Halliday suggests the context of situation comprises of three components: the field (the purpose of the interaction), the mode (the form the discourse takes) and tenor (the participants in the discourse and their relationships). Context has a myriad of implications for the production and comprehension of discourse. It refers to structures of text and talk in a communicative situation, including setting, genre, participant(s) roles, social and institutional, as well as speaker attitudes and ideologies. These elements are pertinent in interview interaction. The interviewer and the interviewee orientate their language strategically to confer their individual communicative goals. In a political context, an interviewer’s goal may be to covertly force an interviewee to admit deficiencies in their political stance/political ideologies. Conversely, the interviewee’s goal may be win the persuasion of the viewing public – disallowing for the kind of interaction that would be detrimental to his/her career. The news interview is a decidedly asymmetrical interaction. Characteristic of the news interview is the discursive roles that interviewer and interviewee obey and comply to. Generally speaking, we expect
1. In issue three of the graphic textbook “Understanding Rhetoric”, three main points stuck out to me; identity, tone, and voice. In this chapter, I gathered a better understanding of each point and learned that they can apply to my writing.Identity is the persona we play or the different versions of ourselves we present at different times; if I was to go to church I would talk and dress differently then when I am cozying around my house. By learning to use identity effectively I can portray myself in writing in different ways, creating a stronger ethos. “Tone should engage your audience in a way that will invite them to feel receptive to your message” (129), by learning to use tone effectively in my writing I can create a setting where I can
Rhetoric is a course in which students are taught the values of persuasion. And yet, behind this course is the utmost power to corrupt the world, changing it into a world of our own policies. This power, even though seldom discussed, has lead to many intriguing discoveries. One such discovery is how people are able to shape the world they live in simply by choosing the right words. Therefore those who would want the world to be a better place must protect this power. If in the wrong hands this power could cause serious damage. Several authors have striven to protect rhetoric and its power. Few agree on the matter of defining rhetoric, but they know that they must protect rhetoric from dark souls. A single definition of rhetoric must maintain a simplistic nature while incorporating every aspect of rhetoric. However, I argue that rhetoric is a means of persuading audiences of a situation and a particular reality through language and personal appeal. In order to prove this definition I will discuss how rhetoric creates a situation, the shaping of a different reality, the audience, the use of language, and the personal appeal. Finally, I will demonstrate the absolute need for rhetoric.
Due to a successful implementation of the rhetorical appeals logos and ethos and the usage of appropriate language, Molly Worthen’s article is more effective than Lisa Wade’s article. The usage of logos greatly supports Worthen’s claim because it clarifies the significance of her argument by providing credible statistics while Wade provides an uncited source to which she proceeds to harshly charge the audience. The application of ethos confirms the applicability of Worthen’s article to the audience and thus improves her eloquence whereas Wade requires further clarification for her use of ethos. Utilizing appropriate language worthy of academic standards positively impacts the effectiveness of Worthen’s article as it accurately depicts the author’s
*All the works below for the exam are done independently. No cooperation or discussion with anybody else.
Murphy, B. C., & Dillon, C. (2010). Interviewing in Action in a Multicultural World, 4th Edition. Cengage Learning, Inc. VitalBook file. Retrieved from: http://online.vitalsource.com/books/1111792550
The art of persuasion is required when writing a speech or debating with someone. People must be persuasive if they want other people to follow them or believe what they do. Speakers at rallies convince people to continue fighting for what they think is right by incorporating rhetoric elements into their speeches. Margaret Sanger is one of those speakers who was able to persuade groups of people at rallies. In Margaret Sanger’s speech “The Children’s Era”, she uses figurative language and the rhetoric element of syllogism and ethos to persuade her audience.
We can only do as much, or as well, as we know to do; and if that does not work, then one must ask: What am I to do? That is an excellent question, for it holds value for those who are willing and able to reveal its answer. The value of a well-formed question is found in the answer that it holds; that is, if by raising that question, we are able to behold the answer within it. Although I consider philosophical, theological, and rhetorical questions to be valuable when seeking insight and understanding, these are questions that are not meant to illicit a response, and therefore, they have no practical value. The only value of such questions is that they leave us open to other questions which may hold the answer. For example, when wondering
For this discussion assignment, I will be briefly summarizing and analyzing Chaim Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca from The New Rhetoric, as well as the Realm of Rhetoric and The New Rhetoric; A Theory of Practical Reasoning. Through the readings, Perelman developed a kind of “new rhetoric” which was essentially a dense theory of argumentation, audience analysis, and values. He rejected the notion that deduction in persuasion is the key holder that can lead to truth, and advocated for a logic that takes into account categories and people’s understanding of phrases. Philosophy, Perelman argues, is a form of rhetoric (he attempts to connect philosophy and rhetoric again), a system of argument that tries to win the adherence of the “universal
Foucault (1977) uses discourse to relate to how language can be used to construct ideas and thoughts about groups. Discourses and language can therefore help construct or reduce oppression (Thompson, 2006). If a group has power, they have the ‘ability and opportunity to fulfil or obstruct personal, relational, or collective needs’ (Prilleltensky, 2008). If the dominant discourse of a less powerful group is positive, the group with power may help that group fulfil their needs. If the dominant discourse of a less powerful group is negative, such as with UASC, the powerful group may obstruct them in fulfilling their needs, and therefore will cause oppression.
Living in a country that provides access to great health care, one would expect the United States to have a sufficient supply of medical professionals such as doctors. After all, the country has a booming population and is home to many respected institutions with driven and compassionate medical students. However, in the March 3, 2015 edition of The Washington Post, Lenny Bernstein addresses a relatively new problem in healthcare. In the article, “U.S. Faces 90,000 Doctor Shortage by 2025, Medical School Association Warns”, Bernstein successfully creates a real sense of this crisis through his use of logos and diction to address the expected shortage of medical doctors.
The 2016 presidential campaign, was wrought with several controversial issues, none more so than the refugee crisis. Throughout the campaign, Donald Trump’s Anti-Muslim rhetoric, appeared to go against the American ideals of protecting religious freedoms. This trend continued into his presidency, he enacted Executive Order 13769 “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States”, banning immigrants and refugees from seven predominately Muslim countries. While, the President claims these measures were taken to prevent any future terrorist attacks on the United States, many question if the Order has more to do with instilling a ban on Islam. Yet, with the possibility of terrorists entering the United States, how can we
The first chapter introduced the reader to the art of rhetoric. He describes how rhetoric works through real life examples. He demonstrates ways that rhetoric persuades us like, argument from strength, and seduction. He tells the reader that the sole purpose of arguing is to persuade the audience. He showed that the chief purpose of arguing is to also achieve consensus, a shared faith in a choice.
In today’s age, the use of persuasive rhetoric is everywhere. The most recognized use of rhetoric today is through political propaganda. Politics are confusing to many people and disliked by many more. The reason for this is because politics are often misleading. “Political speaking urges us either to do or not do something: one of these two courses is always taken by private counselors, as well as by men who address
Members of "societies" and "historical cultures" participate in vast and not altogether coherent superstructures which invite them to channel doubts through prevailing discourse practices. In the democratic tradition, we can categorize these channels as the personal, the technical and the public spheres. "Sphere" denotes branches of activity–the grounds upon which arguments are built and the authorities to which arguers appeal. (p.2)
People spend a significant part of their lives listening and talking, that is the main reason why conversation is regarded to be the most generalised form of talk that concerns both speakers and listeners and it is contemplated to be the essential ingredient in co-operative undertaking (Wardhaugh, 1985). Conversation is informal talk involving two or more people and interviews are a particular type of conversation. Interviews are regarded as meetings at which a journalist asks questions in order to find out the interviewee’s opinion. This is an assignment that analyses a telephone interview, so there is an absence of eye contact, body language or facial expressions that are attributes of a ‘live’