Journal of Language and Politics - Volume 21, Issue 6, 2022

Abstract

Between the civil and uncivil lie ‘borderline’ discourses where speech that appears civil is laden with uncivil ideas, norms and discourses that normalise anti-pluralist, nativist and exclusionary views. Such discourses are found in videos and websites of far-right groups and in some mainstream media. Here, we argue that Turkey’s government and mainstream media use similar discursive strategies. We examine both speeches and media representations of these that represent capital punishment since Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s 2002 rise to politics. Analysis leans on Multimodal Critical Discourse Studies to expose how Erdoğan, who transforms from a cautious reformist prime minister into an authoritarian-populist president, has always articulated uncivil ideas cloaked in civility, with uncivility increasing over time. Analysis of lexica and imagery in associated news stories reveal how media normalise such discourses. As such, these borderline discursive acts contribute to a decline in civility in a deeply polarised society.

Abstract

This article examines the discursive construction of nature as represented by the Swedish TV documentary Tvångsförflyttningar – Bággojohtin, which narrates the history of forced displacements of the indigenous people of Sami in northern Sweden in the early 20th century. Our discursive-material analysis highlights the role of nature in these displacements, and how, in these tragic historical developments, nature was regulated by the antagonistically positioned discursive frameworks of the state and the Sami, both of which, in very different ways, sought to integrate it into their respective systems of meaning. By bringing attention to the interconnection of the discursive and the material, we argue that nature, through a series of subversive acts, resisted both the environmental governmentality of the state and the counter-hegemonic environmental knowledge of the Sami. Thus, the article contributes to the understanding of the multiple discursive struggles around flora and fauna, but also nature’s own agency and voice.

Abstract

The far right has launched its own particular crusade against gender-neutral language (GNL). In this article, I examine how the parties Rassemblement National, in France, and Vox, in Spain, instrumentalise discursively their opposition to GNL as part of their overall political strategy of confronting social change. By using a culture war framework, I critically analyse the connections between the polarised representations of language and those of other fronts of cultural conflict that the far right directs against adversary groups. I show that both political parties have co-opted language into the culture wars they pursue on other fronts, albeit with significant differences. I argue that in addition to the idea of a single overall struggle based on moral differences and cultural cleavages, culture wars are also to be understood as interconnected fronts in different spheres of contention that the far right strategically exploits.

Abstract

Individuals perceive the real world via interpretive schema, and actively classify and interpret their life experiences into what are defined as frames, to make sense of the world around them. Why certain frames are chosen can be explored from the cognitive and communicative perspective. In this light, this study explores how the Chinese news media frame the coverage on Sino-US trade dispute, discursively legitimizing their ideological stance and action. The case study demonstrates that Chinese media exploit multifarious frames to construct the Chinese national identity, which correspondingly and strategically highlight such frames (Cooperation, Health, Journey) as conform to culture value or render the audience empathy. It is suggested to construct political conflict discourse via strategic choices of appropriate social, moral or cultural frames to reframe the dispute. Chinese media can also deploy agenda-setting to enhance political communication.

Abstract

Since the pandemic broke out in 2020, China has widely presented the covid crisis in its mass media and actively constructed collective identity thereof to mobilize medical workers, unify political stances, boost domestic solidarity, and promote international support. This paper combines the Discourse-Historical Approach and a multimodal perspective to investigate how the Chinese state-run news agency People’s Daily discursively achieves these purposes on TikTok. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods is used to present the high-frequency topoi of justifying the crisis and referential and predicational strategies of shaping collective identity within, which can fall into four dimensions: positive Self, negative Self, negative Others, and positive Others. The linguistic resources can be intensified/mitigated by visual-aural ensembles, which can draw the audience’s attention and arouse their emotional attachments. This study also summarizes the embedded values in the discourses and situates them in socio-political contexts.

Abstract

We explore how gendered language in Senate floor debates evolves between the 101st and 109th sessions (N=229,526 speeches). We hypothesize that female Senators speak like women in the general population, that their speeches focus on traditionally designated women’s issues, and that they use female linguistic strategies found in the general population when discussing low politics or women’s issues. We also expect women to speak like legislators, adopting more male linguistic approaches for high politics issues or in election year speeches and for female senators to use more male linguistics as time served in the Senate increases. Using a suite of computational linguistics approaches such as topic modeling (Latent Dirichlet Allocation), syntax and semantic analysis (Coh-Metrix), and sentiment analysis (LIWC), our analyses highlight the distinct roles of women speaking for women (e.g. promoting issues like education or healthcare), women speaking like women (e.g. using personal pronouns), and women speaking as Senators.

This article reviews The Language of Violent Jihad978-1-108-42111-9

This article reviews Metaphors of Coronavirus£19.99978-3-030-85105-7

This article reviews Viral Discourse978108986625US$20.00

This article reviews Complicity in Discourse and Practice9781032072876£ 44.99