Language, Power, and Pedagogy: Rethinking Inclusion in Higher Education

Abstract

This paper investigates the politics of pedagogy in higher education, with a specific focus on inclusive education and the role of language as both a tool and a site of struggle. Set within the sociology classrooms of public and private Indian universities, the study draws upon feminist and critical pedagogical frameworks, foregrounding language politics as integral to questions of inclusion, marginality, and epistemic jusThis paper investigates the politics of pedagogy in higher education, with a specific focus on inclusive education and the role of language as both a tool and a site of struggle. Set within the sociology classrooms of public and private Indian universities, the study draws upon feminist and critical pedagogical frameworks, foregrounding language politics as integral to questions of inclusion, marginality, and epistemic justice in the Indian context. In a multilingual and multicultural society like India, language is central not only to instruction, but also to representation, identity formation, and access to knowledge. The paper foregrounds the interconnection between pedagogy, language, and social justice by engaging with the possibilities introduced by the National Education Policy (NEP, 2020), especially its emphasis on mother tongue instruction and multilingual education, while offering a grounded critique of how these ideals translate (or fail to translate) within everyday classroom practices. It highlights the urgent need for reflexive, culturally responsive, and intersectional pedagogical models that foreground language as central to the democratization of education. Through a qualitative methodology, the research analyzes semi-structured interviews with eight sociology educators from public and private universities in India, offering insights into how they navigate institutional, cultural, and political constraints while attempting to create equitable learning environments. Public university educators, often shaped by their own histories as first-generation learners or members of marginalized communities, exhibit a deeply reflective commitment to inclusive pedagogy. Their strategies include multilingual engagement, peer learning, and assignments grounded in students’ lived experiences. In contrast, private university educators face unique challenges under neoliberal structures that commodify education; yet, many attempt to foster critical engagement through creative assignments and discourse-sensitive practices. The findings highlight that language is not merely a vehicle of communication, but a site where power is enacted and contested. Educators’ choices around terminology, narrative inclusion, and representational ethics directly influence whether classrooms function as spaces of exclusion or transformation. The paper argues that inclusive pedagogy must be conceived as a linguistic and cultural praxis that is deeply intertwined with issues of caste, class, gender, and region. This paper contributes to existing scholarship by explicitly linking inclusive pedagogy with the politics of language in Indian higher education—an area that remains underexplored despite its centrality to questions of equity and justice. It emphasizes the urgent need to train educators in using inclusive language and to redesign institutional frameworks to support the linguistic and cultural plurality of learners. In doing so, the paper responds to global calls for inclusive and equitable education and contributes to building pedagogical strategies that nurture critical thinking, empathy, and democratic participation.tice in the Indian context. In a multilingual and multicultural society like India, language is central not only to instruction, but also to representation, identity formation, and access to knowledge. The paper foregrounds the interconnection between pedagogy, language, and social justice by engaging with the possibilities introduced by the NEP 2020, especially its emphasis on mother tongue instruction and multilingual education, while offering a grounded critique of how these ideals translate (or fail to translate) within everyday classroom practices. It highlights the urgent need for reflexive, culturally responsive, and intersectional pedagogical models that foreground language as central to the democratization of education. Through a qualitative methodology, the research analyzes semi-structured interviews with eight sociology educators from public and private universities in India, offering insights into how they navigate institutional, cultural, and political constraints while attempting to create equitable learning environments. Public university educators, often shaped by their own histories as first-generation learners or members of marginalized communities, exhibit a deeply reflective commitment to inclusive pedagogy. Their strategies include multilingual engagement, peer learning, and assignments grounded in students’ lived experiences. In contrast, private university educators face unique challenges under neoliberal structures that commodify education; yet, many attempt to foster critical engagement through creative assignments and discourse-sensitive practices. The findings highlight that language is not merely a vehicle of communication, but a site where power is enacted and contested. Educators’ choices around terminology, narrative inclusion, and representational ethics directly influence whether classrooms function as spaces of exclusion or transformation. The paper argues that inclusive pedagogy must be conceived as a linguistic and cultural praxis that is deeply intertwined with issues of caste, class, gender, and region. This paper contributes to existing scholarship by explicitly linking inclusive pedagogy with the politics of language in Indian higher education—an area that remains underexplored despite its centrality to questions of equity and justice. It emphasizes the urgent need to train educators in using inclusive language and to redesign institutional frameworks to support the linguistic and cultural plurality of learners. In doing so, the paper responds to global calls for inclusive and equitable education and contributes to building pedagogical strategies that nurture critical thinking, empathy, and democratic participation.