Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Language and Social Justice

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Handbook on Promoting Social Justice in Education

Abstract

This chapter is about language and social justice or more precisely about relationships between the way the language is used and the challenge of providing equal opportunities in the society regardless of one’s gender, ethnic identity, wealth, educational background, or other identifiers. There are two main purposes in writing this chapter: One is to show the significance of language in how social structures in a society are produced, maintained, and reinforced, demonstrating why we must avoid narrow definitions of language which underestimate its power and why it is essential to see language as social practice. The second purpose is to display how such a critical awareness of the role language plays helps us understand issues of social concern and create a platform to contribute to empowerment of people. The chapter will also emphasize the pedagogical implications of adopting a critical language awareness perspective for social justice in education.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alim, H. S. (2010). Critical language awareness. In N. H. Homberger & S. L. McKay (Eds.), Sociolinguistics and language education (pp. 205–231). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bakhtin, M. (1981). The dialogic imagination. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barsky, A. E. (2010). Ethics and values in social work: An integrated approach for a comprehensive curriculum. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, A., & Garrett, P. (Eds.). (1998). Approaches to media discourse. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, L. A. (1997). Theoretical foundations for social justice education. In M. Adams, L. A. Bell, & P. Griffin (Eds.), Teaching for diversity and social justice: A sourcebook (pp. 3–15). New York, NY: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Billig, M., Condor, S., Edwards, D., Gane, M., Middleton, D., & Radley, A. (1988). Ideological dilemmas: A social psychology of everyday thinking. London, UK: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bloor, M., & Bloor, T. (2007). The practice of critical discourse analysis. London, UK: Hodder Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P., & Wacquant, L. (1992). An invitation to reflexive sociology. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Briscoe, F., Arriaza, G., & Henze, R. C. (2009). The power of talk: How words change our lives. London, UK: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, D. (Ed.). (1990). Introduction: Why is language a feminist issue? In The feminist critique of language. London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chilton, P. (2004). Analysing political discourse: Theory and practice. London, UK: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, R., & Ivanic, R. (1997). Critical discourse analysis and educational change. In L. van Lier & D. Corson (Eds.), Encyclopedia of language and education. Vol. 6: Knowledge about language (pp. 217–228). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Kluwer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Cochran-Smith, M., Shakman, K., Jong, C., Terrell, D. G., Barnatt, J., & McQuillan, P. (2009). Good and just teaching: The case for social justice in teacher education. American Journal of Education, 115(3), 347–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Comber, B. (1994). Critical literacy: An introduction to Australian debates and perspectives. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 26(6), 655–668.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cots, J. (2006). Teaching ‘with an attitude’: Critical discourse analysis in EFL teaching. ELT Journal, 60(4), 336–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Saussure, F. (1966). In C. Bally & A. Sechehaye (Eds.), Course in general linguistics. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dominelli, L. (2002). Anti-oppressive social work theory and practice. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Donmall, A. (Ed.). (1985). Language awareness. London, UK: CILT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eagleton, T. (1991). Ideology: An introduction. London, UK: Verso.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairclough, N. (1989). Language and power. London, UK: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairclough, N. (1992). Discourse and social change. London, UK: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairclough, N. (1995). Critical discourse analysis: The critical study of language. London, UK: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairclough, N. (1999). Global capitalism and critical awareness of language. Language Awareness, 8(2), 71–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fairclough, N. (2001). The dialectics of discourse. Textus, 14(2), 231–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairclough, N. (2003). Analysing discourse: Textual analysis for social research. London, UK: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fairclough, N. (2009). A dialectical-relational approach to discourse analysis. In R. Wodak & M. Meyer (Eds.), Methods of critical discourse analysis (pp. 162–186). London, UK: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairclough, N. (2011). Critical discourse analysis: The critical study of language. Montreal, Canada: Seminaire enTheories des Organisations.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairclough, N., & Wodak, R. (1997). Critical discourse analysis. In T. A. van Dijk (Ed.), Introduction to discourse analysis (pp. 258–284). London, UK: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, R., & Kress, G. (1979). Critical linguistics. In R. Fowler, B. Hodge, G. Kress, & T. Trew (Eds.), Language and control (pp. 185–221). London, UK: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1989). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York, NY: Continuum Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gee, J. P. (2004). Discourse analysis: What makes it critical? In R. Rogers (Ed.), An introduction to critical discourse analysis in education (pp. 19–50). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Habermas, J. (1967). Erkenntnis und Interesse (Knowledge and Interest). Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Suhrkamp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halcrow, B. (1990). Bringing social justice issues into any curriculum area. Social Alternatives, 9(2), 42–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halliday, M. A. K. (1978). Language as social semiotic. London, UK: Edward Arnold.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodge, R., & Kress, G. (1988). Social semiotic. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hull, G. (2000). Critical literacy at work. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 43(7), 648–652.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janks, H. (Ed.). (1993). Critical language awareness series. Johannesburg, South Africa: Hodder and Stoughton and Wits University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janks, H. (2008). Teaching language and power. In S. May & N. Hornberger (Eds.), Encyclopaedia of language and education (2nd ed. ) Volume 1: Language policy and political issues in education. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kress, G. (1996). Representational resources and the production of subjectivity. In C. R. Caldas-Coulthard & M. Coulthard (Eds.), Texts and practices: Readings in critical discourse analysis. London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luke, A., & Dooley, K. (2009). Critical literacy and second language learning. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning (Vol. 2, pp. 856–868). New York, NY: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayr, A. (2008). Introduction: Power, discourse and institutions. London, UK: Continuum Books.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pennycook, A. (2001). Critical applied linguistics. A critical introduction. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reisch, M. (2002). Defining justice in a socially unjust world. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 83, 343–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sensoy, O., & DiAngelo, R. (2012). Is everyone really equal? An introduction to key concepts in social justice education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Traynor, M. (2004). Discourse analysis. Nurse Researcher, 12(2), 4–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Dijk, T. A. (1988). News as discourse. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Dijk, T. A. (1998). Ideology. A multidisciplinary study. London, UK: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Volosinov, V. I. (1973). Marxism and the philosophy of language (1928). New York, NY: Seminar Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wharton, S. (2011). Critical text analysis: Linking language and cultural studies. ELT Journal, 65(3), 221–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wodak, R. (2002). Aspects of critical discourse analysis. The Zeitschrift für Angewandte Linguistik, 36, 5–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wodak, R. (2006). Mediation between discourse and society: Assessing cognitive approaches in CDA. Discourse Studies, 8(1), 179–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, ELT Department, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey

    Zuhal Okan

Authors
  1. Zuhal Okan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zuhal Okan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Comparative & International Education and Leadership, Soka University of America , Aliso Viejo, CA, USA

    Rosemary Papa

Section Editor information

  1. The Graduate School, Soka University of America, Aliso Viejo, California, USA

    John M. Heffron

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Okan, Z. (2019). Language and Social Justice. In: Papa, R. (eds) Handbook on Promoting Social Justice in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74078-2_111-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74078-2_111-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-74078-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-74078-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference EducationReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Education

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation