Language and globalisation

Role Of Discourse In Globalization We are bound to communicate using speech, writing and semiotic modes of communication. These modes rely on a particular circumstance that invites oral or symbolic meaner to impart the desired messages; and we use discourse for this purpose. Discourse refers to very specific patterns of language that tell us something about the person speaking the language, the culture that person is part of, the network of social institutions that the person caught up in, and even frequently the most basic assumptions that the person holds (Lois 5).

Thus, the idea of discourse includes the overall scenario of a fixed setting of a society which depends on globalization, a world in which societies, cultures, politics and economics have, in some sense, come closer together (Kiel and Margaret 3). Despite their mutual interdependence, the issue of either discourse affects globalization or globalization prepares a platform for the formation of discourse calls upon more arguments from different scholars. This paper presents how a discourse contributes social, linguistic and ideological aspects of globalization.

A rhetorical situation determines our actions, dialogues, functional behavior and validity of our performances. A discourse is created provided that a determined context demands for fulfilling the noble goal of an action. The importance of a context for discourse is shown by: We need to understand that a particular discourse comes into existence because of some specific condition or situation which invites utterance (Bitter 4). It meaner a discourse in a context involves an utterance which is what we express.

Our expression is revelation of ideas, thoughts and ideologies through which we attempt to maintain cordial relationship with our friends. Until we face a problem, an utterance doesn’t emerge. So, it’s social context where a discourse resides. In one way, it’s social scenario that builds a rigid platform for discourse and the discourse manages to immortality social converse in the other. It encompasses a wide variety of ideas with the help of which we grasp control over the strategies we design. The definition of discourse is introduced relating a social setting where various elements remain in co-operating each other.

It is defined as an abstract and concrete entity. Epistemologically, discourses are abstract entities (elements of orders of discourse within networks of social practices) which are established on the basis of repetition and recurrence over time and in diverse social sites, but ontologically they appear in the concrete form of particular texts (Furlough 41). A discourse exists in a social context which has various social structures, social practices and social events; and represents characteristics of social life I. E. Gender relations, class structures, socio-cultural phenomena etc.

Furlough states that social structures are the most general and most enduring characteristics of societies and a particular language can be taken as a social structure of a special sort (26). It’s a discourse at the level of cognition. A discourse in a concrete sense is a factor of social event that entails activities going on in our social life and such activities are the outcome of discourses. Through the course of time, a discourse changes to meet the temporal and spatial significance. An order of discourses indicates not only genres, styles and discourse but also the different power structures prevailing in the society.

Thus, a discourse in both the cases regard with a society. A society helps a discourse come in practice and in return the discourse maintains a reliable ground for making its components realistic. The vitality of discourse is much remarkable in the clarification of social dialogues. It meaner discourse is a tool for designing social reality and making it meaningful. Social reality is produced and made real through discourses, and social interactions cannot be fully understood without reference to the discourses that give them meaning (Phillips & Hardy 3).

The reality and reliability of a society is materialized only through discourses. A society has different phenomena with the inclusion of dialogues among the existing bodies. Nags, GOES and Ingots work continually for the welfare of overall progress and promotion of society. The mutual co-operation and understanding among those bodies can be exercised by multi- lateral and bi-lateral talks that are brought to surface only through discourses. The truth and triumph of a society reveal the meaningfulness and unavoidable magnificence of discourse in understanding social interactions.

Thus, it can be stated that a discourse is the communicative thread which helps social factors be in the state of agreement by offering discursive intelligibility. A society is built up with norms and values, which tie its components together. There dwell different disgorges of power structures with the help of which social activities run. The horizontal and vertical relations among them set up a rigid foundation for successful manipulation of available resources. In this situation, discourses play a key and resourceful role. The institutions, traditions, rites, beliefs etc. Eve their origination in discourses that deal with the historical documentation of a priori concepts. The same discourses are translated into social phenomena. Furlough states: Discourses are translated’ into social relations, forms of power, rituals and institutions, beliefs and values and desires, and material practices (34). The relation between discourse and society specifies that the fundamental block of global village is supported by language and the discursive phenomenon builds up a consolidated foundation for the spread of globalization.

This idea weakens the dominance of globalization over discourse in the sense of bottom up approach of study. Language is a meaner of communication that is a network of a system of encoding and decoding a message. It has phonetic, syntactic and semantic levels. A discourse regards with each level of language and a conversation involves linguistic, non-linguistic and paralinguistic treasures; and all these are linked through discourses. A discourse, therefore, is not only the oral and textual documentation but also any other meaner of communication.

It includes the ways through which we try to impart message; and a discourse helps us in conceptualizing language. The following sentence clarifies it: ‘Discourse’ is associated with a particular way of conceptualizing and researching language, as well as other semiotic forms such as visual images or ‘body language’ (Furlough 8). A language is a tool for globalization the world; and a discourse enables us to get mastery over its aspects. Without discourse, a language can’t be utilized strategically and rhetorically to contract the distances existing among societies and communities across the world.

Whisking states clearly that discourse theory teaches us to be very attentive to small shifts in how ideas are expressed in language. Language, therefore, as well as other forms of symbolic exchange, is the primary object studied by discourse theory (4). As a discourse is a social phenomenon, social changes affect it. The spread of scientific and economic activities has gifted this world with new ideas and tactics that help us in forwarding our steps. Such ideas as an aspect of globalization transfer through discourses. It suggests that globalization and discourse have some relationship.

Globalization comes into function due to discourse; and it’s discourse of globalization. Roseland mentions that globalization frames discourse in the process of changing a priori knowledge into a posterior one. The spread of the discourse itself alters the a priori ideas and perceptions which people have of the empirical phenomena it engenders strategies and tactics which in turn may restructure the game itself… And in this process, the concept of liberation increasingly shapes the terms of the debate (Roseland 11). But he seems to be dishonoring the role of a discourse as it’s discourse that causes an older ideas change into newer ones.

It is the preliminary and basic process of formation of ideologies which eventually helps to emerge the idea of globalization. Globalization works as a discourse itself and is sometimes taken as the dominance of the western philosophy on the East. Whatever ideas are generated by the elites are transferred from generation to generation. The shift of such ideologies is only possible through discourses I. . The implementation of power and strategies is carried out with the help of a discourse. For the efficient implementation of policies, strategies should be evaluated and ordered effectively.

This Job is very well handled by globalization, which in the course uses discourses. Sawyer says that discourse is a system of domination according to the post colonial theory (433). The powerful nations create discourses to rule the weak countries. For example, the USA is dominating the world through the discourses of Microsoft world, faculty club culture, Mac world culture, Devon culture etc. Similarly, china is grasping control through discourses of its products. The East India Company had tried to produce its own discourses on the basis of the scriptures of Sanskrit so that the authorities could exercise their power over Indians.

Though globalization is taken as an inclusive term for many discourses, it encompasses only a particular sort of discursive features. Isocratic and Webb emphasize: Globalization ‘as a ‘discursive regime, is a kind of machine that eats up anyone and anything in its path… Globalization functions as a set of texts, ideas, goals, values, narratives, dispositions and prohibitions, a veritable template for ordering and evaluating activities (12). They lack the attention of focusing on what a discourse is as they are seen to be more biased in laying significance on globalization; however, they indirectly throw light on the importance of discourse.

Discourse here is specified to globalization that works as a discourse itself. Though the current world is charged with the concept of global village, this particular idea doesn’t allow the role of any discourses but a particular sort of discourse. There are different types of discourses; however, globalization uses only the discourses which an be applied more dominantly to globalize concepts, ideologies and principles. It’s the leading discourse among others. Discourse analysis puts pressure on strictness of signs but discourse of globalization offers diversified meanings of signs used in human life as signs are conceptualized I. . The pragmatism of sign system. The following extract sums up this idea: Discourse of globalization isn’t a single discourse but it is a hegemonic and dominant discourse among other discourses. One of the most important factors of discursive analysis is non-finality and dogmatic of signs and elements in discourses. Globalization has taken more effective steeps in denying dogmatic special discourse by submitting several meanings of various signs of human life (Might 2).

Furlough claims that discourse can represent or misrepresent globalization, can be used to legitimate strategies of particular social agencies, helps in reproducing ideologies to sustain a specific form of globalization; and can generate imaginary representation about the future world and transforms the imaginariness into realities (26). Discourse and globalization are interchangeably affecting each other. Even though the latter is emergent and ever-growing, its recess needs discourse, which informs people about its components.

The effectiveness and impression of globalization is designed and shaped by the appropriate management of discourse. The transfer of power or dominance of the elites relies on discourse as it contributes in the formation and transmission of ideologies that showcase the qualities of power. Prediction about future and its realization into reality is only possible through discourse. It’s discourse which develops into globalization. Thus, globalization is a nexus discourse which is preserved and upgraded by varieties of other discourses.

Discourse is a tool for legitimizing and Justifying ideas, actions, ideologies, policies and strategies in social life; and globalization is the process of bringing separate entities closer by spreading a dominant ideology through a specific sort of discourse. The discourse can be rhetorically used to accelerate the progression of meaningful globalization. The former supports the latter by contributing in spreading social norms and values, studying linguistics and implementing the emerging ideologies. Works cited: Bitter, Lloyd F. ” The Rhetorical Situation. ” Philosophy and Rhetoric 1, 1 (1968): 1-14. Furlough, Norman.