Final answer:
Language is connected to social status and power dynamics, often marginalizing speakers of non-standard English dialects. Code-switching and language activism are two responses to linguistic marginalization. Gender norms and racial and ethnic dynamics in language use also shape power structures in educational contexts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon where language signifies an individual's or group's social standing is often referred to as linguistic social stratification or sociolinguistics. It demonstrates how power dynamics are embedded within our modes of communication and can serve both to oppress and to establish social hierarchies. For example, in many educational and professional contexts, the use of Standard English is deemed necessary to convey education and professionalism, and thus can marginalize speakers of non-standard English dialects. This can affect individuals' access to opportunities and influence their social mobility.
Code-switching is one strategy used by individuals who navigate between multiple linguistic contexts, where they alternate between different language varieties depending on the social situation. Another response involves language activism, where activists work to preserve and value non-standard linguistic varieties as legitimate forms of expression. In schools and universities, language also operates as a form of power in reinforcing gender norms and racial and ethnic dynamics, influencing what is considered acceptable communication and which voices are valued or marginalized.