Book contents
- Oracy
- Oracy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Foreword: The Oracy That Democracy Needs
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Debating Oracy in the UK
- 1 Listening without Prejudice
- 2 Oracy and Social (In)Justice
- 3 Fluency for Me, But Not for Thee?
- 4 What is the relationship between oracy edcuation and confidence for students and teachers?
- 5 Lend Me Your Ears
- 6 Defending Oracy
- Part II Oracy in Global Context
- Part III Oracy in History and in Theory
- Index
- References
2 - Oracy and Social (In)Justice
from Part I - Debating Oracy in the UK
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 September 2025
By
Edited by
Book contents
- Oracy
- Oracy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Foreword: The Oracy That Democracy Needs
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Debating Oracy in the UK
- 1 Listening without Prejudice
- 2 Oracy and Social (In)Justice
- 3 Fluency for Me, But Not for Thee?
- 4 What is the relationship between oracy edcuation and confidence for students and teachers?
- 5 Lend Me Your Ears
- 6 Defending Oracy
- Part II Oracy in Global Context
- Part III Oracy in History and in Theory
- Index
- References
Summary
In this chapter the sociolinguist Ian Cushing critiques what he sees as the prevailing narrative on oracy and social justice. He challenges two key points: Firstly, he disputes the 1960s theory of oracy, which viewed certain communities as linguistically deficient, attributing educational struggles to individual shortcomings rather than systemic injustices. Secondly, he opposes the contemporary oracy agenda’s focus on individual language modification to address broader societal inequities, arguing for transformative methodologies tackling root causes. Cushing criticizes organizations like Voice 21 for perpetuating deficit perspectives and language policing in the name of social justice. Instead, he advocates for a holistic approach acknowledging language struggles’ intersection with socioeconomic and racial inequalities. Only systemic transformation, he concludes, will offer genuine social justice.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- OracyThe Politics of Speech Education, pp. 26 - 39Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
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