Investigating the use of language users' attitudes towards dependent language ‎varieties based on the discourse of power and silence

Document Type : مقالات علمی پژوهشی

Authors
1 Department of Linguistics, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor in Linguistics, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Every country has different languages. Some are standard, while others are non-standard. This research looks at how often people in Iran use standard and non-standard language. It also looks at other factors like age, gender, education, occupation, and income. It also looks at how people feel about different language groups. The data were collected from 314 people in 10 Iranian ethnic groups living in Tehran. They were analyzed using SPSS software and Foucault's theories of power and discourse silence. The results show that people over 50 use their native language or dialect more because they have more social power. Men have replaced non-standard language with standard language. As education level rises, people use less non-standard language. Non-criteria type is more common among retirees than other occupations. Those with a strong financial status have replaced non-criteria type with the criterion type. Those with a weak financial status have the most non-criteria type speech silence. Speakers of languages with strong attitudes toward language use are less likely to speak up in many social situations. They often use non-standard language instead of standard language.

Keywords

Subjects


‎8.‎ Reference ‎
Attari Nikazm, M., Beigi, D. (2014). Examining the sign-semantics of the discourse of silence ‎in three works of Marguerite Duras: Medrato Cantabile, Love, Pain. Journal of foreign language ‎and literature criticism. 11 (15), 131-155Bruneau, T.J. (1973), "Communicative silences: forms ‎and functions", Journal of Communication, 23, 17–46.‎
Bruneau, T.J. (2009), "Silence, silences, silencing", In S. Littlejohn & K. Foss (Eds.), ‎Encyclopedia of Communication Theory, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California.‎
Ebrahimi, M., Demi Nejad. Sh. (2019). Analyzing the discourse of power in Siavash's story ‎based on Michel Foucault's theory of power. Persian literature magazine. 10 (2) 192-212. ‎
Fairclough, N. (2001). Language and Power (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.‎
Foucault, M. (1972). The Archaeology of Knowledge. Pantheon Books.‎
Foucault, M. (1980). Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, 1972-1977. ‎Pantheon Books.‎
Foucault, Michel (1985), The Use of pleasure; Vol. 2 of History Sexuality, Trans from the‎
French by Robert Hurley, New York, Pantheon Books
Haliday, M.A.K. and R. Hassan,‎‌)‌‎1980‎‌(‌‎, Cohesion in English, Longman, London.‎
Honarmand, S. (2012) An introduction to Foucault; an inquiry about power, discourse, ‎consciousness, history and space, Tehran. ‎
Huckin, T., (2002), Textual silence and the discourse of homelessness, Discourse and Society 13 ‎‎(3), 347–372.‎
Jaworski, A. (2000), Silence and Small Talk, in: Small Talk, (ed.) Justine Coupland, 110- 113‎
Jaworski, A. (ed.), (1997), "White and White": Metacommunicative and Metaphorical Silences, ‎in A. Jaworski (ed.) Silence: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, London: Routledge, pp. 401-381‎
Johnstone, B. (2008). Discourse Analysis. UK: Blackwell. ‎
Kelly, Michael J. (2023). "Discursive Power in the Construction of Social Identities." Discourse ‎& Society, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 45-60‎‌.‌
Kurzon, D. (1997), Discourse of Silence, John Benjamins, Amsterdam.‎
Kurzon, D. (2007_A), "Towards a typology of silence". Journal of Pragmatics, 39, 1673–1688.‎
Mirsadeghi, J. (1997). Story elements. Tehran: Sokhan.‎
Naseh, M., Ostadzadeh, Z. (2010). Socio-linguistic analysis of Persian speaking doctor-patient ‎discourse. Journal of Linguistics and Dialects of Khorasan, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. 1 ‎‎(2), 139-153. ‎
Pinthon, Monique (2009), L emergence du silence dans l aeuvre de Marguerite Duras. ‎Ecritures du silence, 5, Faculte des Letters et Langues. [IUFM], Université de Poitiers. P.77-87. ‎
Qurbansabbagh, M., Askarzadeh Targhabeh, R., Rostami, M. (2017). Examining power ‎relations: a critical analysis of the dramatic discourse of Death of a Salesman. Journal of ‎Linguistics and Dialects of Khorasan, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, 1 (18), 55-78. ‎
Rezaei Rad, M. (2002). Semiotics of censorship and silence. Tehran: new plan.‎
Sadeghi, L. (2009). The brokered discourse of silence from the perspective of linguistics ‎‎(intersection of silence in social interaction and narrative silence). Humanities Research ‎Journal, 9 (24), 163-183. ‎
Saussure, F. (1915). Course in General Linguistics. Duckworth. London‎
Saussure, F., (1916/1986), In: Bally, C., Sechehaye, A. (Eds.), Course in General Linguistics, ‎Duckworth, London.‎
Sojudi, F. Sadeghi, L. (2010). The discursive function of silence in the construction of the short ‎story narrative. Comparative language and literature research quarterly. 1 (2), 69-88. ‎
Taylor-Heine, Maravene, Wilson, Terri S., and Moses, Michele S. (2024). "Doing Whiteness: ‎Marking Discursive Silence around Race in an Education Movement." Whiteness and ‎Education, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 51-67‎‌.‌
Timenova, Zlatka (2009),‎‌ ‌Les silences du dialogue romanesque dans Moderato cantabile de ‎Marguerite Duras, Verbum Analecta Neolatina XI/I, Universidade Lusofona de Lisboa, p. 97-‎‎110. ‎
Van Dijk, T. A. (2008). Discourse and Context: A Sociocognitive Approach. Cambridge ‎University Press.‎

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 13 July 2025