Language and Power

This class examines the politics of language--how people use language as a political tool and how language can become the object of political struggle. Politicians, activists, citizens, journalists, diplomats, pundits, and celebrities all use language to pursue political goals. We will explore these uses as well as the ways that language can itself become the topic of political concern, as in debates over what counts as hate speech or in struggles for the recognition of certain dialects as legitimate.