Language and Representation Linguists
Term Definition
Democratic prescriptivism Assesses the language of public institutions, such as businesses and
government, according to its accessibility and clarity (Plain English campaign)
Liberal prescriptivism Assesses language use according to how far it perpetuates limited and socially
damaging ideological stereotypes
Traditional prescriptivism States that Standard English is the correct form of the English language and
better than other varieties
Linguist Theory/quotes Supports/criticisms/examples
Ardener, Muted Group Theory - Every society has cultural e/g women often referred to as male
Shirley and groups that are traditionally muted by limited property and defined by their marital
Edwin access to public discourse, so dominant groups status (honorifics Miss ® Mrs/Ms), female
(developin have been able to construct language to sexuality is stigmatised while male
g ideas of perpetuate their dominance. Originally used to sexuality is glorified (tramp/stud),
Cheris explain gender differences but now applied to commonly known heart attack symptoms
Kranarae) other groups e/g ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+. are those typically experienced by men
Means marginalised groups can find it harder to
articulate themselves and be understood in the
public discourse.
Cameron, Looked into urban myths that are drawn from right- Angel Goddard drew a parallel between
Deborah wing satire about ‘loony left’ London councils e/g urban myths such as these and fairy
banning ‘manhole’, ‘blackboard’, ‘black coffee’ etc. tales, both of which are based on fear, in
fairy tales it is fear of death,
PC causes anxiety because it’s ‘a challenge to the abandonment, cruelty. Urban myths about
whole idea of a universal neutral language’ political correctness are drawn from the
fear of powerful groups in society who
would not benefit from changing the
status quo.
Fairclough ‘Discourse is socially constitutive as well as Most modern linguists accept that
and Wodak socially shaped’ language and thought are interdependent
‘It helps to sustain and reproduce the status quo’ e/g sexist language came about because
‘Discursive practices…can help to produce and of sexist attitudes and growing up in a
reproduce unequal power relations’ society where sexist terms are used may
‘So discourse may…try to pass of assumptions encourage speakers to adopt these
about any aspect of social life as mere common attitudes.
sense’
Goddard, ‘language reform has never been seen as an end
Angela in itself, but as part of a larger attempt to change
the power relationships in society’
‘the idea of ‘interfering’ with language is an
interesting one, because it assumes that language
is naturally occurring rather than humanly
constructed’
‘changes in terms are not arbitrary or whimsical,
but happen for good reasons’ for example who
‘owned’ the term may be important e/g
‘homosexual was used by doctors who viewed
being gay as a pathological illness, whereas ‘gay’
is a term invented by gay people.
‘if the traditional complaint about political
correctness has arisen because of the
Term Definition
Democratic prescriptivism Assesses the language of public institutions, such as businesses and
government, according to its accessibility and clarity (Plain English campaign)
Liberal prescriptivism Assesses language use according to how far it perpetuates limited and socially
damaging ideological stereotypes
Traditional prescriptivism States that Standard English is the correct form of the English language and
better than other varieties
Linguist Theory/quotes Supports/criticisms/examples
Ardener, Muted Group Theory - Every society has cultural e/g women often referred to as male
Shirley and groups that are traditionally muted by limited property and defined by their marital
Edwin access to public discourse, so dominant groups status (honorifics Miss ® Mrs/Ms), female
(developin have been able to construct language to sexuality is stigmatised while male
g ideas of perpetuate their dominance. Originally used to sexuality is glorified (tramp/stud),
Cheris explain gender differences but now applied to commonly known heart attack symptoms
Kranarae) other groups e/g ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+. are those typically experienced by men
Means marginalised groups can find it harder to
articulate themselves and be understood in the
public discourse.
Cameron, Looked into urban myths that are drawn from right- Angel Goddard drew a parallel between
Deborah wing satire about ‘loony left’ London councils e/g urban myths such as these and fairy
banning ‘manhole’, ‘blackboard’, ‘black coffee’ etc. tales, both of which are based on fear, in
fairy tales it is fear of death,
PC causes anxiety because it’s ‘a challenge to the abandonment, cruelty. Urban myths about
whole idea of a universal neutral language’ political correctness are drawn from the
fear of powerful groups in society who
would not benefit from changing the
status quo.
Fairclough ‘Discourse is socially constitutive as well as Most modern linguists accept that
and Wodak socially shaped’ language and thought are interdependent
‘It helps to sustain and reproduce the status quo’ e/g sexist language came about because
‘Discursive practices…can help to produce and of sexist attitudes and growing up in a
reproduce unequal power relations’ society where sexist terms are used may
‘So discourse may…try to pass of assumptions encourage speakers to adopt these
about any aspect of social life as mere common attitudes.
sense’
Goddard, ‘language reform has never been seen as an end
Angela in itself, but as part of a larger attempt to change
the power relationships in society’
‘the idea of ‘interfering’ with language is an
interesting one, because it assumes that language
is naturally occurring rather than humanly
constructed’
‘changes in terms are not arbitrary or whimsical,
but happen for good reasons’ for example who
‘owned’ the term may be important e/g
‘homosexual was used by doctors who viewed
being gay as a pathological illness, whereas ‘gay’
is a term invented by gay people.
‘if the traditional complaint about political
correctness has arisen because of the
