Name-Calling as a Communicative Tool in South African Political Discourse

Abstract

This article reports on a study which emanated from an extended study that explored how name-calling serves as a communicative strategy in political discourse. As an extension, and with a distinct focus on selected political cartoons entrenched in the South African press, the current article details name-calling as a communicative tool in South African political discourse. The study adopted a triangulation theoretical framework, due to its espousal of multiple naming theories. The researchers opted for qualitative discourse textual analysis methodology coupled with exploratory-explanatory research design. Document collection and semiotic analysis were used in succession, as data collection strategies. From the accessible population of ten cartoons, purposive sampling strategy was employed in selecting five cartoons that served as the sample for the study. Name-calling constructs were sequentially extracted from linguistic and visual discourse segments, and were qualitatively analysed through the semiotic analysis, and the theoretical tools underpinning the study. The findings of the study revealed that most of the name-calling stemmed from political corruption. Disclosement and reaction instigation were found to be the most used naming-communicative strategies during name-calling. Additionally, ideological character and aggressiveness were the most common semantic-pragmatic inherent categories of political discourse reflected. To this end, the study submits that cartoons in the South African press employ various name-calling constructs to express viewpoint, persuade, reprimand and construct arguments.