From an anthropological and social perspective, the term is problematic for many reasons. Language is a way to enter the world, and to speak a language is to participate in that world and adopt a civilization. From linguistic relativity, language socialization, and even sociolinguistics, the term's associations are a matter of contention.
Linguistic relativity is the idea that language and perception are interrelated. The theory is that the structure of language also affects the framework of a person’s thoughts and perception and, therefore, overall cognition of the world. For instance, when I say the word “ball” the image of a ball instantly comes to mind, but if I say “bola” that doesn’t mean anything unless you speak Spanish. This, in turn, also means that people’s perceptions are relative to their spoken language- amongst a multitude of other factors, of course. Raciolinguistic ideologies are the premise that people of different cultures/ ethnic backgrounds have a different way of speaking the same language and a different understanding of that language. For example, there is a widespread consensus among language education scholars that African American English is not an example of ‘bad’ English but, rather, a legitimate variety of English that has a system of linguistic patterns comparable to Standard English.” (Flores, (n.d.), 2015) This allows for a deficit perspective, meaning that there is a gap between how much native speakers and foreign speakers understand things- especially in academia, which caters to “standard English.” This distinction in the different types of language and the distinction in where, when, and how they are used can create tangible social effects. Accurate interpretation of languages is critical to communication; however, a person’s language to another can often lack precise translation because the words don’t hold the same meaning without the same context of culture and social pattern. That is why it is often the case that bilingual speakers have issues expressing themselves even when fluent in both languages. Language is shaped by culture, religion, and even geography and thus feeds into how we perceive the world.
Language socialization is the process in which language achieves continuity in modern society. It is a dynamic process that mainly focuses on how individuals seemingly socialize the current norms of their culture through language. The process of socialization can be applied to a number of things that are generally understood within a society but within the context of language; this means creating a collective understanding of what certain words and phrases mean. Going back to the example of the word “ball,” as a society, we've agreed to associate that word to indicate a particular object. Furthermore, the same logic can be applied to more perceptive-based things, like color. If I were to say “red ball” again, an image is conjured in your mind. Whether or not we're thinking of the same thing doesn't matter because we've agreed to call that mental image a red ball on a societal level. In reality, how you see red might be how I see your green. An object like a ball has less room for variation, although possible specification. Whether we are talking about a basketball, soccer ball, or kids' bouncy ball, there is a uniform understanding of what the object is and defining characteristics for how that object is defined. For colors, there is a complete disregard for the individual perception. If asked to describe a color, the immediate response would be to name an object that we have agreed to be that color. A strawberry is red, a cherry is red, a rose is red, but nothing about what red looks like since we all experience it differently. The power of Language lies within our ability to communicate so that others understand us. If you were to try and communicate in a way others didn’t understand, you aren’t communicating. Language is more influential when understood by a broad, larger community. Human language plays a central role in leading to an understanding of information processing.
Similarly, sociolinguistics is the relationship between societal and cultural norms and how language is used. Since individuals must rely on a public code over which they have minimal influence to communicate their unique experiences, this creates a struggle to access the logic of a linguistic system and its rules to express themselves adequately. With terms like ‘Middle East’ then coming into play to categorize a vast region of various cultures and history, this leaves little room for understanding beyond the stereotype. The performativity of language is the notion that language is not only a means of communication but a direct social action. Considering that language has the power to create physical changes and effect change, language itself is, therefore, a performative action. Simply by using the term, you’re taking a stance. Words have power, and we give it to them. A quick google search of the words ‘Middle East’ proves the negative power we’ve given this phrase.