Language and Power

The Power of Words





Propaganda
 

a. Write down a definition of propaganda.  You must cite the source of your definition.

b. Read about the propaganda techniques here 

c. Using a Venn diagram, compare the similarities and differences between persuasion and propaganda. You can refer to this document to help you.

 Uncle Sam poster. Originally published as the cover for the July 6, 1916, issue of Leslie's Weekly with the title "What Are You Doing for Preparedness?"

Assignment

• Comment on the way this poster attempts to persuade the reader.
• How does the writer combine image and language here to create a persuasive effect?

1.Read the text here.






2.What makes a politician persuasive?

Part 3: Literature Texts and Contexts

To Kill a Mockingbird

Meaning in a text is shaped by culture and by the contexts of the circumstances of its production. It is also shaped by what the reader brings to it. Literary texts are not created in a vacuum but are influenced by social context, cultural heritage and historical change. Through the close reading of literary texts, students are able to consider the relationship between literature and issues at large, such as gender, power and identity. Students should be encouraged to consider how texts build upon and transform the inherited literary and cultural traditions.

Learning outcomes for this part of the course:

1. Consider the changing historical, cultural and social contexts in which particular texts are written and received
2. Understand the attitudes and values expressed by literary texts and their impact on readers.

Move on to Race Class and Gender

Part 1: Language in Cultural Context

In Part 1 of the course, students will:

Analyze how audience and purpose affect the structure and context of texts through consideration of:

• the use of persuasive language in political speeches;
• the features of SMS messages; and
• postcolonial rereading of texts.

Demonstrate an awareness of how language and meaning are shaped by culture and context through consideration of:

• the ways in which jargon and professional language are used;
• the ways in which language affirms identity;
• the status given to standard and non-standard forms of the language; and
• the status of minority language in multilingual societies.

Analyze the impact of language changes through consideration of:

• the impact of electronic communication on meaning;
• the influence of government policy;
• the emergence of new vocabulary from the language of groups (for example, young people); and
• the disappearance of vocabulary and language themselves.

LANGUAGE AND GENDER AND SEXUALITY

Click to Read 

FROM THE MOUTHS OF RAPISTS: THE LYRICS OF ROBIN THICKE’S BLURRED LINES

Watch the following video. Comment on the subject matter and language techniques.

Who is the intended audience and what is the purpose of the text?