Language and power: a narrative of the suppression of young people’s ways of speaking in school

Abstract

This article examines how schools regulate the ways in which young people speak, taking as its starting point the narrative of the censorship of a theatrical sketch created by students enrolled in an integrated secondary and technical education program. The experience demonstrates that the prohibition of swear words goes beyond linguistic issues, revealing mechanisms of power, discipline, and symbolic violence that legitimize only certain forms of expression associated with dominant social classes. We argue that language functions as an instrument of both social inclusion and exclusion, leading students to internalize norms that constrain their own speech. Although the performance was well received by the audience, the intervention of the school administration resulted in the group's exclusion from institutional activities, a measure interpreted as a strategy of silencing. We relate this experience to the inequalities reproduced by schools, the valorization of what is considered legitimate culture, and the devaluation of popular forms of expression. Finally, we argue that the arts—particularly theatre—constitute a space of resistance capable of enhancing the visibility of young people, challenging linguistic hierarchies, and fostering new forms of participation and emancipation within the school environment.