The Language of Power (and how to use it)

In the post-mortems of the 2024 US Presidential election, one accusation rings out repeatedly: that the wealthy, college-educated leaders of the Democratic Party struggle to speak the language of the working-class people they aim to represent. Trump, on the other hand, speaks in a way that resonates with that audience.

A linguistic divide

This takes me back to my sociology studies. In The Uses of Literacy (1957), Richard Hoggart, a British academic from a working-class background, lamented the loss of authentic working-class culture in Britain. He analysed how working-class speech is practical and direct - rooted in shared, lived experiences, conveying grit and realism -while middle-class speech is often more abstract, complex, and aligned with institutional values, asserting authority over subjects. This divide not only reflected socioeconomic differences but reinforced them.

Sociologist Basil Bernstein expanded on this with his theories of restricted and elaborated codes: working-class language often uses restricted code, a straightforward, context-dependent form of communication, whereas middle-class language favours elaborated code, a more explicit, detailed style suited to individual expression. Bernstein argued these codes further reinforce class distinctions and barriers, especially in education and professional settings.

?

The social media factor - ?deeper division While social mobility may have improved since 1957, language divides have only deepened, especially through social media, where echo chambers allow each class’s “code” to flourish in isolation.

?

The managerial disconnect

Now let’s project this onto modern managerial culture. The gap between management's language of "values" and the practical concerns of workers often creates a communication impasse. Management speaks in terms like "integrity," "collaboration," or "innovation," aiming to build a cohesive corporate culture. Yet, for many frontline workers, these terms can feel detached from their daily realities. When values are promoted without clear ties to lived experiences, workers may perceive them as hollow or even hypocritical. Management’s message often fails to resonate with the challenges they face on the ground. No wonder EDI is struggling.

?

From telling to asking

Our solution is to switch the focus from telling to asking. Instead of instructing with values, we dramatize values in action. We show behaviours that push up against what the values dictate, helping us see them applied in real situations. Imagine: a glove accidentally hits an employee on the head at a construction site. The employee insists to management that it could have been a spanner, and that everyone on site needs training, or at least a warning. But it was just a glove, and the project is running behind. What would you do?

?

Video drama gets people talking

A simple scenario like this can be very emotionally engaging. And that’s what is needed to stimulate productive conversations. When people see principles in action, they become interested. When they’re engaged with a problem, they want to solve it. With a campaign approach, we keep the conversation going - and keep it fun and engaging. Now people are discussing values in their own language. All you need do is to keep encouraging them. ?

?