Workshop | 28/03/2026 | Speaker: Mike Orr
Workshop led by Mike Orr, Independent Scholar
ABSTRACT
In this workshop we will think about language and power and, in particular, some theories about where dominant ideas in society come from and how they are transmitted. We will consider who might benefit from the uncritical acceptance of key ideas, including those about tackling climate breakdown. We will use simple techniques to analyse short texts looking at how key ideas are being communicated and then practise rewriting texts to open them up to critical scrutiny.
Mike Orr has worked as an English teacher and as a teacher educator in several countries, including Latin America, the Middle East and Europe. His interest in the power of language to prevent or promote change comes from many years as a trade union activist campaigning both in the workplace and beyond. He now lives and works in the far north of Scotland.
