Language and Prejudice

Abstract

In the ever-increasing globalization of the world, there has been a parallel increase in the amount of contact between members of different social groups, and thus, more opportunities than ever before for discrimination based on prejudice. This article is premised on the belief that language plays a central role in prejudice. Taking as a base the 2007 Journal of Language and Social Psychology special issue on language and discrimination, this review examines empirical evidence linking language and prejudice. It offers a taxonomic classification using a modified version of an earlier model crossed with three causal hypotheses. From this review, it can be concluded that prejudice can have both an implicit and explicit effect on language and that language plays a critical role in every form of prejudice. This strongly suggests that not only are language and prejudice inextricably linked but also that the study of prejudice without a consideration of language is incomplete.