This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (5) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Augoustinos, M. Articles by Every, D. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Language of "Race" and Prejudice

A Discourse of Denial, Reason, and Liberal-Practical Politics

University of Adelaide, martha{at}psychology.adelaide.edu.au

Danielle Every

University of Adelaide

During the past 20 years, there has been a burgeoning literature on racial discourse in Western liberal democracies that has been informed by several disciplines. This literature has analysed linguistic and discursive patterns of everyday talk and formal institutional talk that can be found in parliamentary debates, political speeches, and the media. One of the most pervasive features of contemporary race discourse is the denial of prejudice. Increasing social taboos against openly expressing racist sentiments has led to the development of discursive strategies that present negative views of out-groups as reasonable and justified while at the same time protecting the speaker from charges of racism and prejudice. This research has demonstrated the flexible and ambivalent nature of contemporary race discourse. The present article reviews these discursive patterns or ways of talking about the other and emphasises the significant contribution that this work has made to research on language and discrimination.

Key Words: discourse • discursive psychology • discrimination • prejudice • race

Journal of Language and Social Psychology, Vol. 26, No. 2, 123-141 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0261927X07300075


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. Hastie 'Excusing the inexcusable': justifying injustice in Nelson's Sorry speech Discourse Society, November 1, 2009; 20(6): 705 - 725. [Abstract] [PDF]

				N. Bozatzis Occidentalism and accountability: constructing culture and cultural difference in majority Greek talk about the minority in Western Thrace Discourse Society, July 1, 2009; 20(4): 431 - 453. [Abstract] [PDF]

				E. Waterton and R. Wilson Talking the talk: policy, popular and media responses to the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade using the `Abolition Discourse' Discourse Society, May 1, 2009; 20(3): 381 - 399. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. Simmons and A. Lecouteur Modern racism in the media: constructions of `the possibility of change' in accounts of two Australian `riots' Discourse Society, September 1, 2008; 19(5): 667 - 687. [Abstract] [PDF]