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Learner Resource 14 ‒ Binary Oppositions Binary means two things, aspects, features; often these are in opposition. Complete the following pairs: black vs male vs gay/homosexual vs vegetarian or vegan vs right-handed vs able-bodied vs Most of us define ourselves by these labels. Which ones would you use? However, even with these classifications, you can see that there are values embedded that suggest one is more ‘normal’ or powerful than another. In media coverage, many ideologically loaded words carry judgmental value because the meaning of one word relies on its relationship with its cultural or ‘binary’ opposite. hard-working vs lazy tax payers vs tax dodgers middle class vs working class normal vs abnormal government vs strikers The idea of binary opposition is important as it offers us a fairly straightforward way of uncovering how subtle levels of power operate within a text. The interpretations that occur owing to binary oppositions happen sub-consciously because both the creator and the interpreter of the language are a part of a shared context or mind set. Version 1 1 © OCR 2017 Linguistic variations of power

OCR AS and A Level English Language Delivery Guide Learner ...€¦  · Web viewAs we discovered in our earlier activities in using the word ‘ hero’ , for example, it is quite

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Page 1: OCR AS and A Level English Language Delivery Guide Learner ...€¦  · Web viewAs we discovered in our earlier activities in using the word ‘ hero’ , for example, it is quite

Learner Resource 14 ‒ Binary OppositionsBinary means two things, aspects, features; often these are in opposition. Complete the following pairs:

black vs

male vs

gay/homosexual vs

vegetarian or vegan vs

right-handed vs

able-bodied vs

Most of us define ourselves by these labels. Which ones would you use? However, even with these classifications, you can see that there are values embedded that suggest one is more ‘normal’ or powerful than another. In media coverage, many ideologically loaded words carry judgmental value because the meaning of one word relies on its relationship with its cultural or ‘binary’ opposite.

hard-working vs lazy

tax payers vs tax dodgers

middle class vs working class

normal vs abnormal

government vs strikers

The idea of binary opposition is important as it offers us a fairly straightforward way of uncovering how subtle levels of power operate within a text. The interpretations that occur owing to binary oppositions happen sub-consciously because both the creator and the interpreter of the language are a part of a shared context or mind set.

As we discovered in our earlier activities in using the word ‘hero’, for example, it is quite easy to recognise that the interpretation of this word depends not on any value inherent in it but on its relationship with several opposing ideas and words, most especially of course the word ‘coward’ or ‘villain’. The word hero contains with it all sorts of cultural baggage to do with what being a ‘real man’ should be (notions of masculinity) and thus it can be shown to be acting to maintain and reinforce many stereotypical values including the myths of masculinity.

Version 1 1 © OCR 2017Linguistic variations of power

Page 2: OCR AS and A Level English Language Delivery Guide Learner ...€¦  · Web viewAs we discovered in our earlier activities in using the word ‘ hero’ , for example, it is quite

How would you describe the binaries you see in the (classic) Star Wars poster at https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=classic+star+wars+poster andespv=2 andbiw=1920 andbih=925 andtbm=isch andtbo=u andsource=univ andsa=X andsqi=2 andved=0ahUKEwjIk6qK2djRAhXJKcAKHZOqDecQsAQIMw#imgrc=wLESBHzmnr0x7M%3A ?

Jot the oppositions into the table below.

Binaries:

The philosopher Jacques Derrida took this idea a stage further. He recognised that binary pairs were never equal and that one half of each binary pair is somehow culturally marked as being held in a more valued or positive light in society while its unmarked opposite is viewed less positively or even negatively.

It seems it is ‘natural’ (or is it ‘cultural’?) to judge one thing’s meaning against another (connected) thing’s meaning and to place the meanings within some kind of hierarchy of value

One way to reveal how binaries work is to do a commutation test – to replace items in a text with their opposites. One parody Twitter feed does this. Can you explain how the humour is created? https://twitter.com/manwhohasitall

Version 1 2 © OCR 2017Linguistic variations of power

Page 3: OCR AS and A Level English Language Delivery Guide Learner ...€¦  · Web viewAs we discovered in our earlier activities in using the word ‘ hero’ , for example, it is quite

The representation of gender is traditionally portrayed as binary (although things are now starting to change). Children’s books are a good place to examine representations of male and female characters through binary opposition as well as how families are portrayed . This will be a useful link to your study of language and gender. If you have younger brothers or sisters at home, have a look at their books or preview them on Amazon or Google books. Then see if you fill out a table of binary oppositions for the books you select

Binaries:

For example

washing up Cleaning the car

Inside the home Outside the home

Practice AS exam textThe AS exam question (Paper 2 Section B) asks you to consider the representation of power in a text and noticing binary oppositions at work can help us with this. The text you will get will be multimodal so it will contain at least one image. Read through the extract from the 1950s children’s book and explore what binary oppositions are at work in the text and which ‘side’ is portrayed as powerful or ‘normal’.

Have a look at the following extract from Five Fall into Adventure (1950) by Enid Blyton, Chapter 2. The children are on holiday and have gone down to the beach to sunbathe and swim.

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Page 4: OCR AS and A Level English Language Delivery Guide Learner ...€¦  · Web viewAs we discovered in our earlier activities in using the word ‘ hero’ , for example, it is quite

Source: Blyton, E. (1950). Five Fall into Adventure.Hodder. ISBN: 9780340765227. Chapter 2.

Version 1 4 © OCR 2017Linguistic variations of power

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OCR acknowledges the use of the following content: Blyton, E. (1950). Five Fall into Adventure.Hodder. ISBN: 9780340765227. Chapter 2.Please get in touch if you want to discuss the accessibility of resources we offer to support delivery of our qualifications: [email protected]