Language and politics

Qualifications	Duration	Start dates	Application period
PhD or Professional doctorate	Full time: 3–4 years Part time: 6–8 years	October	November to January

Qualifications
PhD (MPhil also available)

Duration
Full time: 3–4 years
Part time: 6–8 years

Start dates
February and October

Application period
January to April

Language plays a vital role in politics, while language itself can be a highly political topic. Language is never entirely neutral, and the way it is used to frame topics, to persuade people to believe or act in line with particular ideologies, is a fundamental part of the way society works.

The relationship between the two covers everything from rhetoric, propaganda and activism, to debates about discrimination and social justice.

Researchers in Language and Politics at the OU have a wide range of interests within this broad spectrum. These include language, literature and politics; the relationship between language, politics and social media; creativity and politics in the linguistic landscape; language, linguistic resistance and decoloniality; language and gender; activism; the discursive construction of inequality.

Entry requirements

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.

Potential research projects

We welcome students interested in conducting research in the following areas:

Political storytelling
Language, persuasion and propaganda
Discourses of fake news
Creativity and politics in the linguistic landscape
Language and heritage practices The language of protest Language and memorialisation
Grassroots activism, including graffiti
Political influencers in a digital age Instrumentalisation of stories in different contexts
Narrative, affect, and the politics of mourning
Migration discourse
Language and discrimination