Abstract
In this book, Shulze and Pishwa employ a cognitive and social conceptualisation of power, relying on a variety of disciplines and theoretical approaches to provide a thorough examination of the communicative expression of power relations. The book draws from linguistics, psychology, sociology and communication studies in order to understand how power is expressed through linguistic devices and what outcomes result from this expression. Linguistics is the thread joining each of the chapters to one another, but as the authors describe, serves often as a ‘precondition’ for other disciplines. The inter- and cross-disciplinary nature of the volume serves the overall aims of the authors well and hints at the breadth of analytical and theoretical approaches available for the study of power and language.
The book is organised into four sections, a necessary structure as each chapter differs in its primary goals, theoretical assumptions and analytical approaches. Part I, titled ‘Social Aspects of the Exercise of Power in Linguistics’, contains two chapters. Chapter 2, by Schulze, offers a theoretical discussion of three contemporary linguistic theories – cognitive linguistics, frame semantics and neo-Firthian linguistics – to explore the idea that language and grammar are inherently social. The theoretical overview is paired with a corpus-based study of the verb brook to illustrate the potential of finding thesocial in large amounts of data. In Chapter 3, Kitis and Kitis analyse the use of the term ‘populism’, contrasting its use in Greek and English public discourse. Again usingcorpus linguistics methods, the authors point out the significant occurrence of the term in Greece and highlight that the term has taken on an excessively negative connotation that differs greatly from its core meaning in the English context.
Part II, ‘Linguistic Cues for the Exercise of Power and Persuasion’, begins with Chapter 4 by Hougaard, who examines the discursive practices of Danish regional board public Q&A sessions from his own cultural insider perspective. Hougaard’s analysis demonstrates how the official framework of conduct of these sessions, ostensibly proper, open and democratic, is in fact a framework for the exercise of authority, superiority and power on the side of Danish politicians. In Chapter 5, Pishwa contrasts two interviews with Barack Obama and the evidentiality markers they contain. She argues that the linguistic devices in these interviews increase Obama’s persuasiveness and are used in an intentional way to reflect the circumstances and topic at hand. Chapter 6, by Schwartz-Friesel, is an impassioned discussion of contemporary verbal anti-semitism in Germany. She presents a longitudinal corpus study, showing how discourses of exclusion, fixation and devaluation are still used towards Jews in modern discourse.
Part III, ‘Linguistic Elements and Their Influence on the Recipient’, includes three chapters, and starts with a short discussion by Suppes on the acoustical qualities of the human voice and their relation to power. Suppes focuses on gendered differences of voice and the theory of verticality to demonstrate that voice is a non-verbal reinforcement of power and dominance. Chapter 8, by Craig, Blankenship and Lewis, employs dual- and multi-process models to examine linguistic cues and power relations. Their review highlights that particular linguistic markers do not themselves increase a speaker’s power, but may be used more effectively by those with power. Chapter 9, by Hosman, reviews 30 years of research on powerful and powerless speech styles. Employing both molar and molecular perspectives, Hosman comments on the persuasiveness of these speech styles and their influence on perceptions of power. Hamilton, in Chapter 10, offers a quantitative examination of language intensity by manipulating versions of George Bush’s Declaration of Hostilities message. His findings – that language intensity does indeed influence a person’s reception of a message and their evaluation of a source – strongly support information processing theory. Of note is Hamilton’s novel use of a ‘seriousness of tone’ variable and analysis of participants’ cognitive response, although his quantitative report sits in stark contrast to the qualitative character of the other chapters.
Part IV, ‘Focus on the Influence of Powerful Messages and Reactions’, begins with Miller’s compelling discussion in Chapter 11 of the effects of explicit, high-controlling language on certain reactant populations – namely, adolescents and seniors. Following reactance theory, she suggests alternatives that may be more effective in persuading these populations, such as implicit, autonomy-supportive and choice-based messages. In Chapter 12, Henry examines the motives of low-power groups in conflicts, suggesting that while opposing high-power groups will often place a motive of domination upon them, their motives are much more reflective of ‘anti-dominance’. Henry employs two case studies to demonstrate how high-power claims of low-power dominance motives are often unfounded, the first examining protestant Unionists versus catholic Nationalists in Ireland, and the second the United States versus al-Qaeda. Chapter 13, by Scholl, Ellemers, Sassenberg and Sheepers, closes the volume with a theoretical discussion of the way in which individuals construe their power and how that construal impacts the association of power with either responsibility or opportunity. The book thus ends on a positive note, reminding readers that while power certainly affects behaviour and communication in social interactions, it does not always need to be negatively portrayed.
Schulze and Pishwa’s volume is an excellent resource for those starting their studies in the domain of language and power, as it is a rich and varied collection of different analytical and theoretical approaches to the topic. However, while their interdisciplinary approach reflects the fields in which they situate themselves, the range of this book serves also to take away from its cohesion and unity, making sections or individual chapters less useful to those with a narrow focus of interest. That said, the volume also takes strength from its widely varied foci in that it offers readers a remarkable collection of work carried out across the globe. With discussions of Greece, Denmark, the United States, Ireland and others, this volume offers a broad focus to readers interested in how power is expressed in global contexts. Overall, Schulze and Pishwa offer a neat contribution to the interdisciplinary study of language and power and an important global perspective to students and researchers interested in adopting a social approach to the study of language and power in the fields of discourse studies, communication, sociolinguistics, cognitive linguistics and psychology.