The Language of Democratization

Since the 1960s, liberal values such as nondiscrimination, equal participation of all in social, political, and cultural spheres, and individual freedom have driven processes of democratization in Western societies – a trend that has recently been countered by the resurgence of illiberal forces, right-wing populism, and authoritarianism.

This volume examines processes of democratization and de-democratization from an interdisciplinary perspective, showing how they unfold in language, cultural discourses, and communicative practices. In particular, the collection highlights research on changing roles and social positions: who has access to which social roles, how these roles are performed, and how individual actors are positioned or position themselves within social power structures has undergone profound changes in recent decades, not least in the context of new media environments that challenge established power structures and forms of discourse. Bringing together contributions from linguistics, cultural studies, and related disciplines, the volume seeks to expand our understanding of (de-)democratization beyond the theoretical frameworks of the social sciences.

This book will be of interest to students and scholars in fields such as applied linguistics, discourse analysis, cultural studies, education, political science, and sociology.

Svenja Kranich is Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Bonn, Germany.

Simone Knewitz is Senior Lecturer in North American Studies at the University of Bonn, Germany.

Daniela Pirazzini is Professor of Romance Linguistics at the University of Bonn, Germany.

Hanna Bruns is a research assistant at the University of Bonn, Germany, where she is currently also pursuing her PhD.