Asymmetries

Final Exam The event that took place at Oregon State University (OSU) on November sixteenth demonstrated many of the concepts presented in the textbook by Laura Ahearn. The concepts that it demonstrated included language ideologies, asymmetries in society and showed how these perpetuate racist mindsets. Language ideologies almost always serve in the best interests of one group over another. These asymmetries are expressed through the language that we choose to use. The asymmetries present in our society were demonstrated by the people who made racist comments made in the online chat during this event. There will also be multiple language ideologies within a group, and these are the result of sub-groups that belong within it. This event demonstrated some of the sub-groups that have been created within our own society. In our society, these sub-groups sort people based on their physical appearances. While it is possible for people to be aware of the different language ideologies that are present in their society, this would not seem to be the case during this event. As previously mentioned, this event demonstrated some of the asymmetries within our …show more content…
There were elements of this event that were symbolic of a particular mindset. This mindset came from a time when power was distributed far more unevenly than it is today. The symbolic meaning of these words had to be learned, which is always the case with symbols. However, this event also demonstrated the multifunctionality of language as well, by showing how language can be used to convey the feelings and opinions of a person or sub-group. This demonstrated the way that language can be used to go beyond labeling concepts and ideas. The terms being used by the people in the online chat were meant to express their opinions about specific people and sub-groups. In this way, that event demonstrated how language can be