Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jun 2026

Technical Implications for the Hidden Violence of Neutral Language

Michael T. MacDonald University of Michigan–Dearborn

Abstract

Many collections of keyword essays include the term technology , but less attention has been paid to the genealogy of the word technical . Because it is often used to describe specialized knowledge, the term can also imply a separation between knowledges. This essay reviews the Oxford English Dictionary alongside several keyword collections to show how the word technical is a marker of division between binary knowledge formations, in particular, specialized/general, theory/practice, and mind/body. This distinction, I argue, makes possible political renderings of the term that can hide violence within what is often considered to be neutral language.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2026-06-19
DOI
10.1177/00472816261460392
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Open Access
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