Harmonious discourse markers: Understanding the social justice ideology discourse

This article makes the claim that the social justice ideology that has become hegemonic and institutionalised throughout the universities of the Anglosphere is best understood by analysing what I call ‘harmonious discourse markers’. Using discourse analysis, a methodology itself embedded in the social justice ideology, it is shown how the connotative value of language is manipulated to index a false compassion and harmony. The ideological code employs antonymous discourse markers such as ‘safe/dangerous’ and a family of ‘values’ such as ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ to make the discourse seem unimpeachable. Throughout the discourse, it is the esoteric meanings of the ideological tokens that are prioritised over the exoteric meanings. The objective of the discourse is to polarise and demonise the alternative discourse on grounds of moral standards and discompassion. In doing so, its attempt to invert power structures is seen to be a charitable endeavour even if it directly discriminates against the ethnic majority. All ideologies are involved in the weaponization of language. The social justice ideology and its revolution of empathy is no different, but it is cleverly disguised as the discourse is wrapped in terms of compassion and inclusion.