Language and Social Justice

Abstract

Language, whether spoken, written, or signed, has a huge capacity either to facilitate social justice or undermine it. The first reference resource to specifically explore the interface between language and social justice, this volume examines how language symbolizes, frames, and expresses political, economic, and psychic problems in society, and contributes to visions for social justice. Investigating specific case studies in which language is used in practice to challenge and negotiate social injustices, each chapter provides a unique perspective on how language carries value and enacts power, presenting historical frameworks for understanding a specific social justice problem and presenting detailed analyses of language’s role in engendering or resolving it. Case studies are drawn from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America and the Pacific Islands, with leading experts tackling a broad range of themes, such as equality, sovereignty, communal well-being, and the recognition of complex intersectional identities and relationships within and beyond the human world. Putting issues of language and social justice on a global stage and casting light on these processes in communities increasingly impacted by ongoing colonial, neoliberal, and neofascist forms of globalization, Language and Social Justice is an essential resource for anyone interested in this area of research.