COMP 339
Language and Power: Political Discourse during and after the Arab Spring Uprisings
Spring 2025
Division I
D Difference, Power, and Equity
Cross-listed
ARAB 344
Class Details
“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” George Orwell, Politics and the English Language
In this course, we will examine the interplay between language and politics during the Arab Spring Uprisings. We will explore the socio-political conditions that precipitated the movement, and analyze how language functioned both as a tool of oppression and a vehicle for dismantling power structures. Students will be introduced to key linguistic and sociopolitical frameworks, such as systemic functional linguistics, critical discourse analysis, and Bakhtinian dialogism. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and case studies, we will analyze speeches, media coverage, protest slogans, and grassroots communications from different Arabic-speaking countries to uncover the linguistic and rhetorical strategies employed by both state and non-state actors. We will also reflect on how the convergence of the Arab Spring and digital technologies promoted diverse forms of political expressions and translations thus challenging the state’s authoritative discourse and ultimately ending its monopoly over political narrative. This course is taught entirely in English, and all Arabic texts are accompanied by English translations.
The Class:
Format: seminar
Limit: 15
Expected: 19
Class#: 3964
Grading: no pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Limit: 15
Expected: 19
Class#: 3964
Grading: no pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation:
Several short reflections (2-3 pages) and answering prompts based on the readings; class presentations, and a final project.
Prerequisites:
None
Enrollment Preferences:
Arabic Studies majors
Distributions:
Divison I
Difference, Power, and Equity
Notes:
This course is cross-listed and the prefixes carry the following divisional credit:
ARAB 344 Division I COMP 339 Division I
ARAB 344 Division I COMP 339 Division I
DPE Notes:
The conceptual and material framework of this course focuses on the power relation between language and structures of political domination. Students will not only acquire tools to identify and deconstruct this relationship, but also learn about various expressions of linguistic resistance.
Attributes:
Linguistics
Class Grid
Updated 7:40 pm
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COMP 339 - 01 (S) SEM Language and Power
COMP 339 - 01 (S) SEM Language and PowerDivision I D Difference, Power, and EquityAhmad JeddeeniW 1:10 pm - 3:50 pm
3964OpenNone