Language and Power in the Online Environment

Sujo de Montes, L.E., Sally M. Oran, and Elizabeth M. Willis. “Power, language, and identity: Voices from an online course.” Computers and Composition. 19.3 (2002): 251-271. Web. 15 May 2010


In this article, Sujo de Montes, Oran, and Willis present an analysis of power and ethnic identity in their online education and writing course. The main argument is teachers should not ignore issues or race, ethnicity, and power because they hinder the opportunity for ethnic identity development. They also point out that often in online writing environments the race factor is usually in the “off” position or the position of the dominant race, in this case the “default” White position. Because we are at the beginning of exploring pedagogy in online environments, educators need to examine how issues of power and relationships occur when dialogue is not in the face-to-face classroom. The authors posit that when developing course teachers should consider: “How do invisible body language, tones of voice, and facial expression impact the construction of meaning in online learning? How do we negotiate power relationships among students whose varying ethnicities, ages, and abilities are not explicit?” The authors feel that their research and the implications of the work show that instructors, especially those with a constructivist approach to knowledge, need to consider power, identity, and ethnicity when designing a course.

To explore these issues the authors examined their online course, which included minority students. Through their dialogue on the course bulletin board, incidents occurred between majority and minority students that revealed insights about views on power and ethnicity. The landscape of the online classroom has changed from the “typically over 26 years old, highly motivated, self-disciplined, goal oriented, with average or better verbal and quantitative skills, and with relatively easy access to telecommunication facilities.” These days the online student has become multicultural and many of them do no have good access to education. The authors go through 3 events that occurred on the class discussion board that presents issues of power, language, and ethnicity. They take each event and break it down, showing what power and language issues were in play as well as how the students and instructors reacted both on the discussion board and off. The incidents revealed mainly that because of cultural differences students interpret specific words, phrases, and scenarios differently. The incidents also showed how both minority students and majority students would back down or be “silenced” from certain issues out of fear or confusion with the situation. The majority students did not understand or see their privilege and the minority students couldn’t help but interpret some statements as being negative toward their ethnicity (even though they were not mean to be). The ultimate goal is to find a way for “all members of an electronic learning community to participate equally and sensitively so that no one is silenced or privileged.”

I enjoyed reading this article because I have experienced both sides of this scenario as a student and instructor. Being a minority, I have had situations where my voice was silenced by students and instructors, who did not take into account the “difference” of my experience. I know how it feels to be “othered.” A face-to-face class affords students the opportunity to interpret body language, tone, facial expressions, etc. to see what meanings are behind statements. In an online class these cues are not available, so students can often misinterpret harmless statements as being racist or prejudice. It also allows students who in the majority to make ethnocentric statements without seeing the impact it has on the minority students.
I think this article is helpful because it brings attention to an issue that is often overlooked. There has to be a way to talk about sensitive issues, which may involve race, in an all-inclusive way. Teachers should learn how to handle these situations as well as build on them for the educational value they present; issues of ethnic identity, discourse communities, power, and connections to language and identity are built into many of these situations. I never want a class I instruct to have any of these issues in the “off” position. I also do not want them to turn to the dominant culture, possibly “silencing” other students.

The study used in this article was small and of course does not reflect all situations. I wish that more ethnicities were included. I also would have like the instructors to try to follow up with students to see what they learned, how they felt after the course, and if it impacted their approach to similar situations. I see how this can impact a writing class where issues are often of a social, cultural, and political nature. It makes me wonder what students, if any, I may have silenced or “othered,” The authors suggest critical reflection for both student and instructor. I think that is a good first step, but what else can be done through course design or pedagogy to prevent the events from this article from becoming ubiquitous.