Kranich S, Knewitz S, Pirazzini D, and Bruns H (eds.) (2026) The Language of Democratization; Roles, Social Positions and Discourse. New York: Routledge

This review discusses The Language of Democratization; Roles, Social Positions and Discourse, a volume edited by Svenja Kranich, Simone Knewitz, Daniela Pirazzini, and Hanna Bruns (Routledge, 2026). Bringing together eleven contributions across three thematic sections, the book explores how language and discourse shape and are shaped by processes of democratization and de-democratization, advancing an expanded conception of democracy as both an institutional and a historical, everyday-life, micro-political phenomenon. Drawing on case studies from Italy, France, the United States, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and other contexts, and covering diaspora, native, LGBT, and racialized communities, the multidisciplinary contributions – grounded in a discourse analysis approach – combine linguistic, literary, cultural, and historical perspectives to examine the link between language, power, and social inclusion and exclusion. The review highlights the volume's richness and diversity of case studies, concluding that it makes a compelling case for language's constitutive role in the practice of (de-)democratization.