Pragmatics and Society - Volume 12, Issue 1, 2021

Abstract

This two-part article suggests ways in which elements of antagonistic discourses of the environment might be combined in a hybrid, innovative discourse that appeals to a broad section of the public while advocating for more environmentally sustainable practices in industry. It proposes an enhanced Positive Discourse Analysis (PDA) that not only identifies points of fissure in the hegemonic discourse but also seeks points of convergence that can be articulated with in a hybrid, counter-hegemonic discourse that maximizes its potential for uptake while destabilizing the prevailing discourses at precisely the fissure points identified. Part I explores the theoretical grounding for an enhanced PDA, introduces the research method and then, based on Stibbe (2016), makes an eco-discourse analysis of discourses by Shell Oil Company (SOC), with a focus on their discourse semantic patterns, showcasing how hegemonic groups employ discourse strategies to serve their interests and what ecological effects such discourses may produce. In Part II (Chen et al. 2021), a comparative analysis is conducted on the SOC discourses and the Greenpeace discourses. As well as highlighting the points of antagonism between the two discourses, it attempts to seek out points of convergence between progressive positions in the discourses. Part II also explores the potential fissures in the hegemonic order and discusses the design of alternative discourses thereupon. It is argued that an enhanced PDA which focuses on solutions rather than problems and collaboration rather than resistance forms a route for positive and interventionist orientations to discourse that promote social change.

Abstract

This paper explores the practice of insults on GhanaWeb, a popular online platform on which some Ghanaians post comments and share opinions in reaction to various news reports. Among other things, the study entails understanding how the prevalence of harsh insults stands against the backdrop of traditional Ghanaian speech culture, which places high value on respect for the elderly and authority figures. Examining a sample of online comments directed at key political leaders in the build-up to the national elections in December 2016, the study identifies their characteristic textual and discursive features and interprets them in cultural and socio-political contexts. The study asserts that although the practice of using insults against political leaders in online commentary appears to be ‘normal’ in the online context, it is a transgression when one considers the Ghanaian sociocultural norms of communication.

Abstract

In an attempt to ensure electoral victory, politicians use different strategies. One of such is resort to hate speech to discredit the opponents. The 2015 presidential election campaigns in Nigeria witnessed unrestrained use of hate speech in different media. This paper analysed selected speeches of the campaign organisations of the two leading political parties in the election, namely the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation and the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation. Data were got from the speeches and advertorials of the two organisations sampled from The Nation and The Punch, published between January and March 2015. The speeches were subjected to critical sociocognitive analysis. The antecedents of the candidates became a recipe for hate speech. Propagandist and alarmist ideologies were used. Socially shared knowledge played an important role in the hate speech. Figures were used symbolically and serious attempts were made to frighten the electorate.

Abstract

Swearing has traditionally been associated with spoken language; however, swear words are appearing more often in print and, notably, explicitly featured in commercial products. In this paper, we consider this development an example of the commodification of swear words, or ‘swear words for sale’. Our analyses of English-language swear word products show that the taboo nature of swear words is exploited and capitalized upon for commercial gain. We argue that swear word commodities trade on sociolinguistically incongruous aspects of swear word usage, increasing salability of the swear word products by targeting specific demographics. Specifically, we analyze (1) women’s apparel and accessories, (2) domestic items and home décor, and (3) children’s products for adults or articles targeting parents of young children. The study concludes with a discussion of whether the popularization of swearing via such commodification may ultimately result in a loss of distinctiveness and devaluation.

Abstract

This article analyses how perceptions of and approaches to teaching linguistically heterogeneous groups in mother tongue instruction (MTI) in Sweden impact on the development of plurilingual literacies in that context. Linguistic ethnographic data collected over 12 months in classrooms and schools where MTI takes place were thematically categorized and data from the most prominent category, heterogeneity, were further coded into the heteroglossic categories of multidiscursivity and multivoicedness (Todorov 1984). The continua of biliteracy provides an additional interpretative framework. Results show that heteroglossic discursive practices involving diverse linguistic repertoires are commonly reported on and observed in MTI classrooms, and are viewed both as a resource for and an obstacle to learning. These results contribute to discussions on organizational and pedagogical approaches that work with rather than against heteroglossia, through resourceful use of languages to enhance learning in MTI and potentially other subjects as well.

Abstract

This paper employs Kecskes’ socio-cognitive approach to analyze the varied speech styles and cognitive dynamics of the Chinese character (Lee) in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. The discussion of the novelistic dialogue segments has shown that the Chinese interlocutor’s verbal strategies vary from pidgin to English or a combination of the two, which are predominantly hearer-centered and marked by deliberate and conscious attempts on the part of the speaker to meet the cooperation principle. Lee’s movement between different communication modes is partly predetermined by the disparate power relations between the interlocutors and partly determined by his own communicative needs, thus producing a unique pattern that governs his language use in the given intercultural communicative process. In particular, pidgin is used as a self-protection mechanism, a buffer and a way of identification by the Chinese character, which informs the wider socio-historical context of Chinese immigrants’ victimization of racial discrimination in the American society at the turn of the twentieth century. Just like his shifting verbal strategies in intercultural communication, Lee’s cultural identity is also characterized by fluidity in the in-between space of two cultures.

This article reviews Talking like Children: Language and the Production of Age in the Marshall Islands978-01-908-7698-2

This article reviews The Palgrave Handbook of Linguistic (Im)politeness978-1-137-37507-0978-1-137-37508-7

This article reviews Expressing the Self: Cultural Diversity and Cognitive Universals9780198786658

This article reviews Climate change and storytelling. Narratives and cultural meaning in environmental communication