Language & Thought
The language of the pandemic surrounds us. This theme asked students to look into the metaphors that predominate the global dialogue. How has the language of war鈥斺淲e鈥檙e battling/combatting/fighting the virus"鈥攁ffected how we understand the pandemic? How has rhetoric been used to create racial and global tensions? Students considered new expressions such as 鈥渟helter-in-place鈥 and 鈥渟ocial distancing鈥 and compared it to the language used in past pandemics as well as considering how different languages and cultures talk about Covid-19. Students were encouraged to explore how language can be a powerful tool in this time of crisis.