3.3.4

Hierarchy & Power

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Hierarchy and Power - Studies

The last part of occupational language is all to do with a workplace hierarchy and distribution of power.

__Thornborrow__

Thornborrow

  • Thornborrow argues that the workplace is built with asymmetrical power. This means that different people have different amounts of power.
  • In a school, the following (or similar) power structure exists:
    • Headteacher → Deputy headteacher → Assistant headteachers → heads of departments → teachers → support staff → students.
__Drew and Heritage__

Drew and Heritage

  • Drew and Heritage argue that special rules come into play in these hierarchal settings. They say that things work very differently in a workplace than in normal conversation.
    • For example, a teacher is more likely to take orders and commands from the headteacher in a workplace environment than if the two were in conversation in a non-workplace environment (like the pub).
__Atkinson__

Atkinson

  • In certain workplaces, the asymmetry is accentuated.
    • For example, Atkinson notes that there is hyper-formal turn-taking order in parliament.
__Holmes and Stubbe__

Holmes and Stubbe

  • Holmes and Stubbe argue that those in higher-power position can downplay or assert authority to alter their status.
__Blank__

Blank

  • Blank argues that we change our language in an attempt to fit in with the social situation and to exert influence.

Hierarchy and Power - French and Raven

French and Raven proposed a model of five ‘bases of power’. In this model, there are five distinct types of power used in the workplace. These are as follows:

Legitimate

Legitimate

  • A genuine power that someone has.
    • For example, a teacher has a legitimate power of a student because the student is a subordinate of the teacher.
Coercive

Coercive

  • A power with the ability to force (or coerce) someone into doing something.
    • For example, a headteacher can coerce a teacher into marking in a certain way or to make a student behave.
Reward

Reward

  • A power with the ability to offer some form of reward in exchange for compliance (or to withhold the reward for a lack of compliance).
    • For example, a teacher may give a student a sweet for correctly answering questions.
Referent

Referent

  • A power based on rapport with people – you may do something because you like that person.
    • For example, a teacher may cover another teacher’s lesson because there is a sense of friendship/loyalty between them. To take that the other way, a teacher may agree to cover a lesson to gain referent power.
Expert

Expert

  • A power formed from superior knowledge.
    • For example, you listen to your teacher because they have the knowledge which you need.
Jump to other topics
1

Language Levels

1.1

Assessment Objectives

1.1.1Assessment Objectives
1.2

Lexis

1.2.1Introduction1.2.2Common, Proper, Abstract & Concrete Nouns1.2.3Collective Nouns1.2.4Adjectives1.2.5Main, Auxiliary & Copular Verbs1.2.6Dynamic & Stative Verbs1.2.7Transitive, Intransitive, Active & Passive Verbs1.2.8Mood of Verbs1.2.9Adverbs1.2.10Personal, Possessive & Reflexive Pronouns1.2.11Relative & Demonstrative Pronouns1.2.12Determiners1.2.13Conjunctions1.2.14Synonyms, Antonyms & Phonological Features1.2.15End of Topic Test - Lexis
1.3

Grammar

1.3.1Morphology1.3.2Clauses1.3.3Phrases1.3.4Present Tense1.3.5Past Tense1.3.6Future Tense1.3.7End of Topic Test - Grammar
1.4

Semantics & Pragmatics

1.4.1Semantics1.4.2Pragmatics
1.5

Discourse Structure, Graphology & Orthography

1.5.1Discourse Structure1.5.2Graphology & Orthography1.5.3End of Topic Test - Semantics, Graphology etc.
2

Language, The Individual & Society

2.1

Children’s Language Development

2.1.1The Exam2.1.2Phonemes, Vocal Tract & Articulation2.1.3Writing About Phonemes2.1.4Phonological Simplification2.1.5A Child's First Year & Consonant Acquisition2.1.6Beginning Stages of Language2.1.7Lexical Development2.1.8Stages of Development2.1.9End of Topic Test - Child Language Development
2.2

Children's Language Development - Theories

2.2.1Behaviourism2.2.2Interactionism2.2.3Challenging Interactionism2.2.4Nativism2.2.5Nativism - Exam Answer2.2.6Cognitivism2.2.7Social Constructionism2.2.8Writing About Spoken Acquisition2.2.9End of Topic Test - Development Theories
2.3

Literacy Development: Reading

2.3.1Introduction2.3.2Phonics vs Whole Word2.3.3Debates in Reading2.3.4Modelling Reading Acquisition2.3.5Other Reading Theories2.3.6End of Topic Test - Reading
2.4

Literacy Development: Writing

2.4.1Orthography2.4.2Kroll's Theory2.4.3Barclay's Theory2.4.4Creativity vs Accuracy2.4.5Other Writing Theories2.4.6The Exam2.4.7End of Topic Test - Writing
3

Language Diversity & Change

3.1

The Importance of Gendered Language

3.1.1Writing About Gender3.1.2Dominance Theory3.1.3Interruptions - Zimmerman & West3.1.4Deficit Theory3.1.5Difference Model3.1.6Difference Model - Men3.1.7Diversity Model3.1.8End of Topic Test - Gendered Language
3.2

Social Groups

3.2.1Writing About Social Groups3.2.2Social Class3.2.3Social Class 23.2.4Age3.2.5Age - Teen Speak3.2.6Milroy’s Belfast Study3.2.7Labov’s Martha’s Vineyard Study3.2.8End of Topic Test - Social Groups
3.3

Occupational Groups

3.3.1Writing About Occupational Groups3.3.2Jargon3.3.3Conversations3.3.4Hierarchy & Power3.3.5End of Topic Test - Occupational Groups
3.4

Accents & Dialects

3.4.1Writing About Accent & Dialect3.4.2Introduction to Accents & Dialects3.4.3Accents - Matched Guide Experiment3.4.4Accents - Received Pronunciation & Brummie3.4.5Dialects - Dialectal Variations3.4.6Accent & Dialect Case Study - London3.4.7End of Topic Test - Accents & Dialects
3.5

Language Change

3.5.1Writing About Language Change3.5.2Modelling Change3.5.3Modelling Change 23.5.4Lexical Change3.5.5Semantic Change3.5.6End of Topic Test - Language Change
3.6

History of English

3.6.1Old English3.6.2Old English 23.6.3Middle English3.6.4Middle English 23.6.5Early Modern English3.6.6Late Modern English3.6.7Present Day English3.6.8Global English3.6.9American English3.6.10Modelling Global English3.6.11End of Topic Test - History of English

Practice questions on Hierarchy & Power

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    Power Structure Within a School Put in order
  2. 2
    Where does __Atkinson__ note that there is hyper-formal turn-taking order? Multiple choice
  3. 3
    French and Raven's ‘bases of power’ model:Fill in the list
  4. 4
    A teacher giving a student a sweet for correctly answering questions is an example of what type of power according to __French and Raven__?Multiple choice
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End of Topic Test - Occupational Groups