Power, Ideology and Language

Language and Power

In this course, Professor Lesley Jeffries (University of Huddersfield) explores some aspects of language and power. In the first module, we think about the relationship between power, ideology and language, including the concept of ideation. In the following two modules, we look at six approaches that we can use to better understand the ideation and ideology of a text: (i) the use of noun-phrases; (ii) verb choice; (iii) the use of negation; (iv) the use of lists; (v) the use of 'constructed opposites'; and (vi) reported speech. In the fourth module, we introduce some key tips and considerations for conducting your own textual analysis, before turning in the fifth module to look at some of these concepts and tools in action in Professor Jeffries' own research.

Power, Ideology and Language

In this module, we think about the relationship between power, ideology and language, focusing in particular on: (i) different kinds of power (institutional, soft, personal, etc.) and its relation to language; (ii) Michael Halliday (1925-2018) and the concept of ideation; (iii) the linguistic, interpersonal and textual 'strands' of meaning; (iv) the relationship between ideation and ideology.