Language power and agency. in linguist Anthropology

Linguistic Anthropology

1. LANGUAGE,
POWER & AGENCY
THE PROFESSIONAL POWERPOINT TEMPLATE

2. power refers to how language can be used to control,
influence, or dominate others. This can be seen in
many different contexts, from political speeches to
advertising. Those who control the language often
have the power to shape society's narratives and
perceptions.
WHAT IS POWER?

3. ERIC R. WOLFEric wolf distingueshed
four types of power
•Power is an individual attributes.
•Power as relational - Impose one's
will on another.
•Organizatonal power- control of the
sittings of the contexts within which
interaction takes place.(social space).
•Structual power- embeded within over
sytem that govern society.

4. Three approaches to power that have been most useful to linguistic anthropology
01
Hegemony is a concept that originated from the work of
Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci. It refers to the
dominance or leadership of one social group or class over
others, achieved through the use of cultural, ideological, and
political means rather than solely through physical force.

5. Power relation are exercised through various forms of
communication including discourse .
according to Michel Foucault, discourse (conversation)
•Defines and produces out knowledge. it governs the way
that a topic can can be talked about.
•Determines what can be included when talking about a
topic.
•It also determines limit and resences other ways of talking,
conducting ourselves in relation to the topic.
02

6. 033 theory of practice by Pierre Bourdeu
1.Habitus- How we predisposed to act, think, and speak
incetain ways; it reproduces social relations including its
norms that guide thinking.
2.Doxa- The universe is undisputed, taken for granted, they
seem self-evident and common sense.
3.Misrecognition- False consciousness (marx)
misunderstanding the the varying levels prestige
associated w/ different language dialects; acceptance of
the value and rules.

7. It refers to the capacity of individuals to act independently and make their own
free choices. In terms of language, agency might involve choosing to use certain
words or forms of speech to express one's identity or resist power structures.
TWO DIMENSION OF AGENCY
•Individual Agency: Individual agency refers to the capacity of individuals to act and
make choices based on their own intentions, beliefs, and desires. It emphasizes the
autonomy and self-determination of individuals in shaping their own lives. Individual
agency recognizes that individuals have the ability to make decisions and take actions
that have an impact on their own lives and the lives of others. It focuses on the choices
individuals make within the constraints and opportunities presented by their social,
cultural, and historical contexts.
WHAT IS AGENCY?

8. Title
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•Structural Agency: Structural agency recognizes that individuals are not
isolated actors but are embedded within social structures, institutions,
and systems that shape their actions and choices. Structural agency
highlights the ways in which individuals navigate and negotiate within
social, political, and economic structures. It acknowledges that
individuals are influenced by larger social forces and that their agency is
shaped by the norms, values, and power dynamics of their society.
Structural agency emphasizes the interplay between individual agency
and the broader social structures that enable or constrain individual
actions.

9. Talk about agency: Meta-agentive discourse
Meta-agentive discourse", a term coined by Laura Ahearn, signifies how
people talk about agency, how they talk about their own actions and
others' actions, and how they attribute responsibility for events.
•May also examine how agency intersects with other social categories
and identities, such as gender, race, class, and sexuality. It explores
how different individuals and groups experience and exercise agency
within intersecting systems of privilege and oppression.
•Can take place in academic settings, philosophical debates, or
everyday conversations about human behavior, social dynamics, and
personal autonomy. It encourages critical thinking, reflection, and
analysis of the concept of agency and its significance in understanding
human action and social relationships.

10. THANK YOU
REFERENCES•http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/anthro/faculty/duranti/r
eprints/Duranti2004AgencyinLanguage.pdf
•https://www.ijscl.net/article_2718_31a684a0ed011
8b5c1736942b6fa7f82.pdf
•https://youtu.be/PZwCs9VR6To?si=e17Sl8HfuZh_
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