Intersections of language studies and social/political movements, activism, and participation

Full text

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at
https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=hcil20
Critical Inquiry in Language Studies
ISSN: 1542-7587 (Print) 1542-7595 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hcil20
Intersections of language studies and social/
political movements, activism, and participation
John W. Schwieter & Paul Chamness Iida
To cite this article: John W. Schwieter & Paul Chamness Iida (2020) Intersections of language
studies and social/political movements, activism, and participation, Critical Inquiry in Language
Studies, 17:1, 1-4, DOI: 10.1080/15427587.2019.1707156
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/15427587.2019.1707156
Published online: 20 Dec 2019.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 27
View related articles
View Crossmark data

Intersections of language studies and social/political
movements, activism, and participation
John W. Schwieter
a
and Paul Chamness Iida
b
a
Language Acquisition, Multilingualism, and Cognition Laboratory, Wilfrid Laurier University;
b
English
for Academic Purposes, Akita International University, Akita, Japan
Language shapes –and is shaped by –historical, political, social, and cultural
contexts. Research on language from such perspectives has historically been
marginalized and compartmentalized within rigidly-defined academic disci-
plines. Within these dynamic contexts, there is a need to break down
disciplinary silos and provide a forum for theoretical and empirical research
from existing and emergent research methodologies for exploring the rela-
tionships among language, power, discourses, and social practices. Recent
developments in the securitization of immigration, travel, and international
relations illustrate how language studies intersects with social/political move-
ments, activism, and participation.
The political unrest around the world that is forcing large numbers of
individuals to flee their homeland for safety, along with governmental poli-
cies to either accept or reject refugees, makes it very timely to examine how
society engages in movements to support or reject refugees, engage in
activism, and participate these movements. We define participation as bear-
ing a range of meanings from the language that is used to talk about refugees
and other immigrants, the ways that institutions respond to refugees/immi-
grants, as well as to the attitudes and behaviors that society expresses toward
this population of vulnerable individuals.
Empirical inquiry in this area of focus is not new. For example, Cortina,
Makar, and Mount-Cors (2015) discuss dual-language programs as a social
movement. Platt and Williams (2002) analyze letters written to Martin
Luther King Jr. that expressed opposition to the integration of society in
the U.S. during the Civil Rights era. The current situation in the world
surrounding refugees, government policy on admitting or denying refugees,
establishing travel bans, anti-Muslim sentiment, anti-immigrant policies,
among others, has led to a host of social/political movements, other forms
of activism and participation pertaining to these issues (Allexsaht-Snider,
Buxton, & Harman, 2013; Almeida, Biello, Pedraza, Wintner, & Viruell-
Fuentes, 2016). Since Buzan, Wæver, and de Wilde’s(1998) securitization
theory, there has been increased interest in the role that language plays
CONTACT Paul Chamness Iida pchamness@gmail.com Akita International University, Akita, Japan
This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the
article.
CRITICAL INQUIRY IN LANGUAGE STUDIES
2020, VOL. 17, NO. 1, 1–4
https://doi.org/10.1080/15427587.2019.1707156
© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

within these themes. In fact, Jakeševićand Tatalović(2016) argue that “due
to the centrality of ‘speech acts’in securitization theory, the language used [in
public discourse] was of crucial importance in shaping attitudes of relevant
publics at the national, regional, and European level”(pp. 1247–1248).
To this end, this special issue of Critical Inquiry in Language Studies con-
venes the work of global scholars who explore new directions in interdisciplin-
ary research on social/political movements, activism, and participation. Recent
developments in immigration, travel, and international relations make this
special issue timely, where we invited contributions that explore intersections
of language studies and social/political movements, activism, and participation
while encouraging new directions in research through interdisciplinary junc-
tures that are fruitful and opportune. It is the aim of this issue that the articles
presented here invite the readers to explore various facets of language and their
relationship to social/political movements, activism, and participation.
In the first article of this special issue, Jeff Bale and Mayo Kawaguchi
examine the history of heritage language policies in Toronto during the
1970s and 1980s. Their analysis of documents reveals not only important
details of the past, but also how historical actions relate to present day across
the globe. They argue that heritage language education policies at this time
may have been responsible for placing Black language practices at the bottom
of the hierarchy of such policies. Bale and Kawaguchi also found that Black
activists were instrumental in expanding the inclusivity heritage, which
ultimately led to seeing greater transformation in heritage language policies
and programs. As a final important point, the authors suggest that examining
the past from a linear perspective may limit our understanding of the
present. Instead, they maintain that a genealogical lens may provide us
with greater perspective.
Sarah Benesch turns our focus in the second study from policy to teachers’
responses to hierarchical power. In particular, Benesch describes the emotional
labor that arises as a result of a conflict between teachers’training and beliefs
and the reality of what is expected at the institution. She found that rather than
emphasizing what might be perceived as negative emotions of such situations,
teachers might be better to channel this energy into what Benesch calls “a
springboard for activism”that challenges a broken system and organizes
professional teachers to show institutions how the system is not working.
In an example of education policy put into practice, Yuliya Desyatova looks
at how PBLA as it is implemented in Canadian schools ignores the primary
tenets of critical teacher education despite concerns raised by experienced
teachers. Furthermore, she notes that critical voices were often simply labeled
as “resistant to change,”leading to a policy that fails its students and other
stakeholders. Desyatova reminds us that the voices of experienced teachers,
supported with classroom data, can be a “springboard for productive re-
envisioning of the ways in which policy-making and implementation operate
2J. W. SCHWIETER AND P. C. IIDA

in the field of newcomer language learning,”instead of making decisions in
a top-down structure without the input of all stakeholders.
Finally, John W. Schwieter and Aline Ferreira coauthors of the fourth
article, “Learning a language abroad and the implications for social parti-
cipation and positioning”, look at language policy and programming
through the lens of study abroad. In particular, they found that short-
term study abroad has potential impact on learners’future social participa-
tion, but also found that there was little or no impact on their social
positioning. Schwieter and Ferreira suggest that study abroad programs
should incorporate explicit opportunities for learners to think about social
positioning in relationship to their experience abroad in order to raise their
awareness.
Each of the contributions to this special issue, while addressing specific
and unique topics, comes together to convey a singular message. This
message is that policy issues as they pertain to language education must
includethevoicesofthoseforwhomthesepolicieshavethegreatest
impact. Activism may come in many forms. In some cases, it is fighting
to be recognized as described by Bale and Kawaguchi. In other situations,
it is teachers challenging and resisting what they know to be wrong for
their students, as shared by Benesch and Desyatova. Lastly, Schwieter and
Ferreira showed us how listening to the voices of learners reveal the
needed changes for future study abroad programs in order to provide
the biggest impact on the learners’future place in society. Each of these
examples illustrate the need for educators to engage in activism in order to
effectuate change and make learning more meaningful and inclusive of all
learners. The authors here remind us that challenging policy is not about
being insubordinate or resistant to change, but about standing up for what
we know to be true and necessary in order to be effective educators. It is
our hope that these examples will inspire readers to not simply accept
policy because it is there, but that they will use their voice to stand up for
learners and other educators who come after them.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
References
Allexsaht-Snider, M., Buxton, C., & Harman, R. (2013). Research and praxis on challenging
anti-immigration discourses in school and community contexts. Norteamérica,8, 191–217.
doi:10.1016/S1870-3550(13)71788-9
CRITICAL INQUIRY IN LANGUAGE STUDIES 3

Almeida, J., Biello, K., Pedraza, F., Wintner, S., & Viruell-Fuentes, E. (2016). The association
between anti-immigrant policies and perceived discrimination among Latinos in the US:
A multilevel analysis. Population Health,2, 897–903. doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2016.11.003
Buzan, B., Wæver, O., & de Wilde, J. (1998). Security: A new framework for analysis. Boulder,
CO: Lynne Rienner.
Cortina, R., Makar, C., & Mount-Cors, M. (2015). Dual language as a social movement: Putting
languages on a level playing field. Current Issues in Comparative Education,17(1), 5–16.
Jakešević, R., & Tatalović,S.(2016). Securitization (and de-securitization) of the European
refugee crisis: Croatia in the regional context. Teorija in Praksa,53, 1246–1264.
Platt, G., & Williams, R. (2002). Ideological language and social movement mobilization:
A sociolinguistic analysis of segregationists’ideologies. Sociological Theory,20(3), 328–359.
doi:10.1111/1467-9558.00167
4J. W. SCHWIETER AND P. C. IIDA