Rainier Moreno-Lacalle’s Reviews > Moral Politics in the Philippines: Inequality, Democracy and the Urban Poor > Status Update

In both the civic and mass spheres, groups that to some degree share the same vocabulary and cultural codes circulate discourses within their respective sphere. Nevertheless, both spheres contain diverse competing discourses and neither can be said to be a homogenous discursive place.

English ability is seen in the civic sphere as a reflection of learning and intellect; one's views are likely to be ignored if they are not expressed in fluent English. English and power are intimately linked, and people of high social status often use language to display their superiority and authority over their subordinates.