Centre for Language Discourse and
Communication
LDC Seminar
Class in Language & Identity
Research: David Block
Wednesday 16th November 2011, 5:30pm -7:30pm
Room G552, Waterloo Bridge Wing
In recent years, many scholars/researchers in language related fields have adopted
identity as a central construct in their work. In doing so, they have followed a general
trend in the social sciences where a culturalist view of identity has become dominant.
Paralleling goings on in post industrial societies at large, there has been a growing interest
in what is commonly known as ‘identity politics’ (although another and perhaps more
appropriate term used by Nancy Fraser and others is ‘recognition’). The self conscious
approach to identity has revolved around particular inscriptions, such as gender, race,
ethnicity, nationality and increasingly, sexuality and religion. What has been left to the
side in these developments is an interest in identities linked to the material bases of
human existence , in particular class (which would be consistent with what Fraser calls
‘redistribution’). In this paper I aim first of all to discuss the general culturalist approach to
identity before introducing the idea that perhaps a more economically, materially-based
approach is necessary. I will briefly discuss class in terms of definitions as well as
associated concepts and practices, before ending with some ideas about how class might
be more central to future identity-based research in applied linguistics.
David Block is Professor of Languages in Education at the Institute of Education,
University of London. His main interests are the impact of globalization on language
practices of all kinds, migration, and the interface between identity and language learning
and use. His publications include Globalization and Language Teaching (2002, co-edited
with Deborah Cameron), The Social Turn in Second Language Acquisition (2003),
Multilingual Identities in a Global City: London Stories (2006), Second Language Identities
(2007) and Neoliberalism and Applied Linguistics (2012, with John Gray and Marnie
Holborow). He is currently writing a book entitled Social Class and Applied Linguistics.
For more information please email ldc@kcl.ac.uk