Language, racist power & a possible future reading

[John E Richardson]

Sorry for cross-posting...
This is extraordinary. I'm not sure if the relationship between language
and racist power has ever been so clearly demonstrated. Has anyone else
heard of this going on?
Near the end, the report mentions an academic article in the
International Journal of Speech, Language and the Law: Forensic
Linguistics, vol. 11 no. 2 (2004). Perhaps it might be one for the list
to look at?

http://www.irr.org.uk/2005/july/ak000011.html

The use and abuse of language analysis in asylum cases
By Tim Cleary
21 July 2005, 3:00pm
The recent practice of language analysis in asylum cases has met with
criticism from concerned professionals. Linguists have responded with a
set of professional guidelines with the aim of preventing potential
abuses of this method of analysis.

Professional linguists and law professionals are becoming increasingly
concerned about the use and abuse of language analysis in the
examination of asylum applications. In essence, this involves the use of
a recording and an analysis of an applicant's speech to determine his or
her national origin, with a view to identifying whether an asylum claim
is genuine or 'bogus'. [...]


John E Richardson
Dept of Journalism Studies
Sheffield University