Systemic bias in language

In the last two Steps, you’ve looked at issues with globalisation caused by the imbalance of capital (economic, social, cultural and symbolic) and human rights. In this Step, you’ll examine the systemic biases in language and in the way we perceive language, that lead to unequal distribution of capital and imbalance of rights.

Language and power

How does the ‘variety’ of English you might speak affect the way you are perceived? And is there a subtle sense of status attached to which language you speak?

Listen to Tony and Federico explain how language is related to power

(‘Discourse’ is a word used frequently when discussing language in academic terms. It refers to the overall meaning conveyed by language in context.)

1. Consider how different languages are perceived in the country where you live. Which languages are perceived as more prestigious and which as less? What does that imply for those who speak the less prestigious languages?

Categories and stereotypes

Defining people in terms of groups or categories is one of the ways our brains naturally make sense of the world. But the danger is that by losing touch with the individuals involved, we dehumanise them, abstract them and make them ‘other’. [Romani are an ethnic group who traditionally lived a nomadic, itinerant lifestyle and therefore make up part of the population of many different countries.]

Listen to Federico’s examples of using empathy to overcome dehumanising abstractions

2. Watch or listen to the News on your preferred media channel. List the categories presenters use to describe groups of people. What effect do the names of those categories have on your sense of affiliation with the people in them?

Systemic discrimination

Media discourse, political power, legislation – all play a part in representing ‘otherness’, a divided ‘us and them’ society – and need to be tackled. Otherwise, globalisation just emphasises inequalities for the vast majority of the world’s population.

Federico explains just how deeply embedded discrimination can be

3. Inequity and discrimination need tackling on so many levels. Consider how globalisation is experienced differently by different people in your own work or life context.

Select one of the above questions and share your thoughts in the discussion area below. Make sure you include the question number so others know which you are writing about.