Hans Hoeken & Tom St.Pierre: The language of us and them

The language of us and them: Constructing walls and building bridges

Speakers: Hans Hoeken & Tom St.Pierre

Human beings routinely categorize the social world into “us” vs. “them,” and will often favor individuals from their own groups over individuals from others groups. This talk will examine the significant role that language plays in these intergroup processes, acting as both a barrier and a bridge between ourselves and others. As a barrier, we will look at how language serves as a powerful cue for grouping people into “us” or “the Others,” and as a bridge, we will explore how language can be used as a powerful tool for helping people understand the perspectives of individuals from the out-group. We will do this primarily by looking at the development of language biases in children, the reinforcement of language biases in media, and the ability of language to put us in the shoes of others, possibly even the Other. As such, we discuss the way in which language can both divide and unite.