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When 'struggling with English' becomes 'passivity': how language asymmetries in higher education get masked as 'cultural differences'.

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Authors: Gaibrois, Claudine1 (AUTHOR) claudine.gaibrois@bfh.ch
Source: Culture & Organization. May2025, Vol. 31 Issue 3, p232-252. 21p.
Subject Terms: *Power (Social sciences), Language ability, Cross-cultural differences, Discursive psychology, Cultural relations, Variation in language, Stereotypes, Higher education
Abstract: This paper contributes to the study of power imbalances in intercultural encounters by investigating the role of language differences in the construction and deconstruction of 'cultural differences'. Adopting a Critical Discursive Psychological approach, it demonstrates how self- and other-perceived language proficiency differences can lead to the (re)production of cultural stereotypes. At the same time, evaluations of language proficiency differences might also be used to resist cultural explanations. Taking the example of international management higher education, the study shows how students with self-evaluated stronger English proficiency regularly draw on culture as explanatory factor when describing their perceptions of 'weaker' English speakers' engagement in teaching and learning activities. The study, which is based on 46 student reflexivity papers, thus demonstrates that overlooking the role of language differences in intercultural encounters might lead to stereotyping processes. Language-related power asymmetries get therefore masked as 'cultural differences'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Database: Entrepreneurial Studies Source
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gaibrois%2C+Claudine%22">Gaibrois, Claudine</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> claudine.gaibrois@bfh.ch</i>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Culture+%26+Organization%22">Culture & Organization</searchLink>. May2025, Vol. 31 Issue 3, p232-252. 21p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Power+%28Social+sciences%29%22">Power (Social sciences)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+ability%22">Language ability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cross-cultural+differences%22">Cross-cultural differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Discursive+psychology%22">Discursive psychology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+relations%22">Cultural relations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Variation+in+language%22">Variation in language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stereotypes%22">Stereotypes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+education%22">Higher education</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: This paper contributes to the study of power imbalances in intercultural encounters by investigating the role of language differences in the construction and deconstruction of 'cultural differences'. Adopting a Critical Discursive Psychological approach, it demonstrates how self- and other-perceived language proficiency differences can lead to the (re)production of cultural stereotypes. At the same time, evaluations of language proficiency differences might also be used to resist cultural explanations. Taking the example of international management higher education, the study shows how students with self-evaluated stronger English proficiency regularly draw on culture as explanatory factor when describing their perceptions of 'weaker' English speakers' engagement in teaching and learning activities. The study, which is based on 46 student reflexivity papers, thus demonstrates that overlooking the role of language differences in intercultural encounters might lead to stereotyping processes. Language-related power asymmetries get therefore masked as 'cultural differences'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/14759551.2024.2421790
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 21
        StartPage: 232
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Power (Social sciences)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language ability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cross-cultural differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Discursive psychology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cultural relations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Variation in language
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Stereotypes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Higher education
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: When 'struggling with English' becomes 'passivity': how language asymmetries in higher education get masked as 'cultural differences'.
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              M: 05
              Text: May2025
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              Y: 2025
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