Discourse &Society, Ahead of Print.
In recent years, emotions have been receiving considerable attention in discourse analysis, identified as a defining feature of contemporary political discourses. However, most of the previous studies in the field have focused on the categorization of emotions and on how these are present in texts. This approach fails if we want to understand the mechanisms that underpin the relevance of emotions in political discourse, because emotion categories do not tell us much about how and why an emotion is constructed as such. The purpose of this article is to propose a new framework for a more comprehensive analysis drawing upon previous studies on emotions from sociocognitive and constructivist perspectives. Taking into account that emotions are constructed by the addressee -and not by the speaker or the discourse itself-, I present a methodological approach that includes all the elements in play when an emotion arises. Example analysis of hate speech messages are provided to show the contributions that can be made to discourse analysis using this method.
Category Archives: SAGE Publications Ltd: Discourse & Society
The potential of creative uses of metonymy for climate protest
Discourse &Society, Ahead of Print.
This paper develops the notion of metonymy scenarios by exploring the social and cognitive dimensions of various creative uses of metonymy in a collection of digital banners created for the Global Climate Strike movement. The paper argues that the banners exploit existing metonymic relationships to activate dominant anthropocentric discourses in society, and to subvert them via processes of recontextualisation and reappropriation, in order to challenge system conventions and normative attitudes regarding climate change. The literature to date has not adequately considered metonymy as a dynamic and scenario-activating cognitive operation, nor has it thoroughly investigated the relationship between metonymy and irony. However, the data analysed here show that several creative uses of metonymy, including twice-true metonymy, metonymy in combination with metaphor, and the juxtaposition of different metonymies are markers of what this paper posits as metonymic mininarratives or scenarios.
This paper develops the notion of metonymy scenarios by exploring the social and cognitive dimensions of various creative uses of metonymy in a collection of digital banners created for the Global Climate Strike movement. The paper argues that the banners exploit existing metonymic relationships to activate dominant anthropocentric discourses in society, and to subvert them via processes of recontextualisation and reappropriation, in order to challenge system conventions and normative attitudes regarding climate change. The literature to date has not adequately considered metonymy as a dynamic and scenario-activating cognitive operation, nor has it thoroughly investigated the relationship between metonymy and irony. However, the data analysed here show that several creative uses of metonymy, including twice-true metonymy, metonymy in combination with metaphor, and the juxtaposition of different metonymies are markers of what this paper posits as metonymic mininarratives or scenarios.
Book review: Montesano Montessori N, Farrelly M and Mulderrig J (eds.), Critical Policy Discourse Analysis
Discourse &Society, Ahead of Print.
Toward integrative triangulation in discourse-historical approach
Discourse &Society, Ahead of Print.
This paper proposes a novel mode of Discourse-Historical Approach that features integrative triangulation of quantitative and qualitative analyses. The integrative triangulation is achieved by following a rule-bound and systematic discourse analytic procedure with rules derived from a diachronic discourse model that is constructed by explicating premises in the Discourse-Historical Approach, and by using data-driven inductive inference with three supra-lexical quantifiable components – propositions, sinsign topics, and discursive strategies. The case study with American identity construction as the macro-topic and the U.S. presidential inaugural addresses as the discourse corpus shows that the integrative mode produces explicit and sufficient evidence that not only complements, validates, and expands existent findings, but also reveals novel insights on the macro-topic, proving that integrative triangulation of quantitative and qualitative analyses promotes credibility, explicitness, transparency, and replicability in the Discourse-Historical Approach.
This paper proposes a novel mode of Discourse-Historical Approach that features integrative triangulation of quantitative and qualitative analyses. The integrative triangulation is achieved by following a rule-bound and systematic discourse analytic procedure with rules derived from a diachronic discourse model that is constructed by explicating premises in the Discourse-Historical Approach, and by using data-driven inductive inference with three supra-lexical quantifiable components – propositions, sinsign topics, and discursive strategies. The case study with American identity construction as the macro-topic and the U.S. presidential inaugural addresses as the discourse corpus shows that the integrative mode produces explicit and sufficient evidence that not only complements, validates, and expands existent findings, but also reveals novel insights on the macro-topic, proving that integrative triangulation of quantitative and qualitative analyses promotes credibility, explicitness, transparency, and replicability in the Discourse-Historical Approach.
Book review: Liz Morrish and Helen Sauntson, Academic Irregularities: Language and Neoliberalism in Higher Education
Discourse &Society, Ahead of Print.
Nationalism in discursive legitimation: An analysis of the Vietnamese Communist Party’s ‘bamboo diplomacy’ discourse on digital journalism
Discourse &Society, Ahead of Print.
Bamboo diplomacy, the latest conceptualization in Vietnamese foreign policy, has recently captured widespread media coverage. This study investigates the discursive legitimation strategies employed by the Vietnamese Communist Party to justify the adoption of the aforementioned policy. In addition, the study focuses on the integration of nationalism in the legitimation process of bamboo diplomacy discourse in the context of digital media. Drawing upon constructivism, banal nationalism, and Van Leeuwen’s model of legitimation in discourse and communication, the study utilizes CDA and DHA to analyze 66 articles on six official Vietnamese online news outlets. The findings revealed that nationalism-based legitimacy is a key underpinning of three discursive strategies of the four implemented in the VCP’s bamboo diplomacy discourse. Accordingly, three main patterns of nationhood reproduction were identified: (i) the myth of national history, (ii) the authority of national traditions, and (iii) the moralization of bamboo iconography.
Bamboo diplomacy, the latest conceptualization in Vietnamese foreign policy, has recently captured widespread media coverage. This study investigates the discursive legitimation strategies employed by the Vietnamese Communist Party to justify the adoption of the aforementioned policy. In addition, the study focuses on the integration of nationalism in the legitimation process of bamboo diplomacy discourse in the context of digital media. Drawing upon constructivism, banal nationalism, and Van Leeuwen’s model of legitimation in discourse and communication, the study utilizes CDA and DHA to analyze 66 articles on six official Vietnamese online news outlets. The findings revealed that nationalism-based legitimacy is a key underpinning of three discursive strategies of the four implemented in the VCP’s bamboo diplomacy discourse. Accordingly, three main patterns of nationhood reproduction were identified: (i) the myth of national history, (ii) the authority of national traditions, and (iii) the moralization of bamboo iconography.
Book review
Discourse &Society, Ahead of Print.
Book review: Anaïs Augé, Metaphor and Argumentation in Climate Crisis Discourse
Discourse &Society, Ahead of Print.
Evolutions in hegemonic discourses of climate change: An ecomodern enactment of implicatory denial
Discourse &Society, Ahead of Print.
We analyze public media talk that illustrate Norgaard’s spectrum of climate denial discourse. While these are theorized by Norgaard, our analysis of specific instances of media talk examines how speakers enact this spectrum of discourses to justify delay of immediate action on climate change. The analysis suggests there is an evolving public talk on climate where overt denial of climate science is increasingly seen at the political extreme and the more mainstream discourse, described here as an ecomodern discourse, appears aligned with climate science but delays the necessary immediate action to address climate change by among other things using fearful scenarios to argue against disrupting the status quo and appealing to technology to solve climate change.
We analyze public media talk that illustrate Norgaard’s spectrum of climate denial discourse. While these are theorized by Norgaard, our analysis of specific instances of media talk examines how speakers enact this spectrum of discourses to justify delay of immediate action on climate change. The analysis suggests there is an evolving public talk on climate where overt denial of climate science is increasingly seen at the political extreme and the more mainstream discourse, described here as an ecomodern discourse, appears aligned with climate science but delays the necessary immediate action to address climate change by among other things using fearful scenarios to argue against disrupting the status quo and appealing to technology to solve climate change.
Identity in crisis: Power, agency, and subjugation in the small stories of the Moroccan diaspora in Spain
Discourse &Society, Volume 35, Issue 2, Page 243-263, March 2024.
Research regarding migrant discourse and identities has recently focused on how migrants construct identities in narratives. However, these identities may be difficult to navigate as migrants encounter different linguistic and cultural practices as well as discrimination in their new home countries. In Spain, Moroccan migrants are framed as ‘outsiders’ and may experience discrimination because of their identities. In the current study, I examine how Moroccan immigrants living in Granada, Spain manage positions of agency and constraint in small story narratives to construct their identities. I argue that Moroccan immigrants may reinscribe positions of power and authority in service of their own agency positions which may constrain the agency of other migrants. More research must be conducted to determine the role of broader structures and dominant discourses that make such subjugation necessary for migrant identity negotiation.
Research regarding migrant discourse and identities has recently focused on how migrants construct identities in narratives. However, these identities may be difficult to navigate as migrants encounter different linguistic and cultural practices as well as discrimination in their new home countries. In Spain, Moroccan migrants are framed as ‘outsiders’ and may experience discrimination because of their identities. In the current study, I examine how Moroccan immigrants living in Granada, Spain manage positions of agency and constraint in small story narratives to construct their identities. I argue that Moroccan immigrants may reinscribe positions of power and authority in service of their own agency positions which may constrain the agency of other migrants. More research must be conducted to determine the role of broader structures and dominant discourses that make such subjugation necessary for migrant identity negotiation.