WOKE vs. BÜRGERLICH – Abgrenzungs- und Hierarchisierungsmechanismen in sprachkritischen Äußerungen

The aim of this article is to show how groups and hierarchies are constructed in and with language thematisations and language-critical statements and what functions this fulfils. This case study will focus on the juxtaposition of the concepts of woke and civic (bürgerlich). This will be analysed from a discourse-linguistic perspective and with a view to linguistic parameters such as nominations (Nominationen) and predications (Prädikationen), flag and stigma words and their deontic dimensions. The question that will be pursued in the following is: How and with which linguistic means are the groups WOKE and CIVIC juxtaposed in language-critical utterances and what functions do different forms of hierarchisation assume in the process? In addition, it will be analysed how the self-described civic or middle-class perspective questions woke language use as an allegedly discriminatory language system and how the supposed consequences of this ‘wrong’ language use for middle-class society are presented. It becomes clear that the accusation of exclusion and discrimination, which is always attached to the criticism of woke language use or woke in general, itself establishes marginalisation and exclusion. An opposition is always constituted where one side feels morally superior to the other. Language criticism here is a symptom of these exclusion mechanisms and a justification strategy to establish rigid group boundaries in order to react to marginalisation and (potential) bans from the “other side”.