Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Bad Language: A Study Of Structural Violence Through Language Policies In Australia, Dylan M. Howes

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

By situating the heart of Aboriginal culture in the ability to understand and speak Aboriginal languages, I intend to prove that language education policies have caused damage within Aboriginal communities. In order to find and record the damage done by these policies I will use Johan Galtung’s theory of structural violence, which states that large social structures create indirect sources of violence by withholding resources and power from certain groups. Specifically, I will start by providing a brief history of Aboriginal culture and their languages. Then I will analyze language policies, policy analysis, and my own experiences in order to …