Parliamentary Discourse Research Articles

Slaba epistemička modalnost u crnogorskom parlamentarnom diskursu

In parliamentary discourse, intensification and deintensification of text and speech are used to a significant extent, and choice depends on the particular aim the speaker (the MP) wishes to accomplish in an utterance. From a linguistic point of view, it is worthwhile to study the linguistic tools used to achieve the aforementioned discourse strategies, as well as their relation with the pragmatic effects of text and speech, which include persuasiveness and hedging. The topic of this paper is weak epistemic modality, i.e. modifying the utterance with the aim of expression insecurity and non-commitment to the truth of the utterance – hedging from what is said. This type of modality is examined through the use of weak epistemic adverbs, verbs, nouns and adjectives, as well as their phrases, using quantitative and qualitative methods. The results point to a limited range of the items used to express weak epistemic modality and to their overriding presence in parliamentary discourse, which is far more significant than the one recored in the general use of language.

Special seats for women in parliament and democratization: The case of Tanzania

Since the reestablishment of multiparty rule in 1992, Tanzania has expanded the scope of the special-seat system for women in parliament by increasing the number of special seats for each forthcoming parliamentary election. The gradual increase in the number of women special seats has impacted on women's descriptive and substantive representation in parliament. This study examined the impact of the special-seat system on democratization in Tanzania. The study found that the increase in the number of female members of parliament (MPs) through the system has positively influenced the country's transition toward democracy, by broadening parliamentary discourse and contributing to the enactment of laws for women.

Addressing the policy challenges and opportunities of “Big data”

Addressing the policy challenges and opportunities of “Big data”

Gendering confrontational rhetoric: discursive disorder in the British and Swedish parliaments

Parliaments are basically adversarial settings that instantiate the polarization of political power. In debating the pros and cons of available alternatives, parliamentarians are supposed to observe convention-based institutional norms and regulations. However, in critical moments these rules are strategically violated to achieve political goals. Gender-related asymmetries in parliamentary power balance tend to emerge in disorderly parliamentary behaviour and/or disruptive discourse practices. This article focuses on the way in which the rules, procedures and practices of parliamentary interaction are being transgressed in mixed-gender encounters. The results indicate that a range of five context-specific master suppression techniques1 are used by both female and male MPs to enact and reinforce their own power position and, at the same time, to challenge and undermine the opponent's authority and credibility. A micro-level analysis of gender-related disruptive discourse practices in the UK Parliament and the Swedish Riksdag shows how different parliaments, with different rhetorical styles and traditions, often exhibit different forms and manifestations of rule violation, on the one hand, and different reactions to disorderly discursive behaviour, on the other.

Rescaling sovereignty?

Academic contributions to debates on migration policy tend to focus on the sovereign state controlling borders and managing cross-border movements to vouchsafe the nation's economic, social and security interests. Irregular migrants contest this fundamental aspect of sovereignty, and states respond by defending their borders ever more fiercely as more people move in search of safety and livelihood. This article shifts the attention to the borders inside the sovereign state, where substate level of government exercise significant devolved powers and responsibilities. Once the irregular migrant has arrived, it is largely the sub-state governments' responsibility to manage and integrate them, and sub-state economic, social and political interests come into play. This article examines some sub-state political institutions that have shown a willingness and capacity to challenge the territorial exclusivity of sovereign states in regard to migration. They do this variously by portraying irregular migrants as assets to the regional society and economy; invoking international human rights agreements and conventions; and asserting their devolved responsibilities in policy areas that enable irregular migrants to remain. This argument is supported by two Australian and two European case studies based on an analysis of parliamentary discourses and policy documents.

ESTRATEGIAS DE DESCORTESÍA EN EL DISCURSO PARLAMENTARIO CHILENO

The purpose of this article is to analyze impoliteness strategies in a sample of Chilean parliamentary discourse. To that effect, this study puts forward an analysis of the discourse sequences manifesting these strategies in a corpus constituted by 28 sessions held between 2005 and 2007 by the honorable Chamber of Representatives of Chile, in which different and controversial issues of public interest were discussed. For the analysis of impoliteness in political discourse carried out in this study, the works of Chilton y Schaffner (1999), Blas Arroyo’s (2001 and 2003) and Bolivar’s (2005) were consulted, among others. Once the transcriptions of the sessions under analysis were processed, the following impoliteness strategies expressing the representatives’ political goals were identified: attacking the opponent’s public image and protecting the own public image. Likewise, the first of these strategies was sub-classified into the following tactics: discrediting, ridiculizing, and intimidating.

Positioning in pre-prepared and spontaneous parliamentary discourse: Choice of person in the Parliament of Montenegro

Pronominal choice in political talk reflects hidden ideologies, which is why it has been a much-studied phenomenon in the discourse analytic research of politics in western democracies. However, similar topics remain largely unexplored in eastern and transition countries. With this in mind, the aim of the present article is to explore the use of subject pronouns and the person of the verb in the Parliament of Montenegro. The budget debate conducted in December 2009 was chosen for the corpus and was later subdivided into 10-minute pre-prepared ‘Speeches’ and three-minute ‘Comments’, which represent spontaneous responses. The two subcorpora were then compared with respect to person deixis. The results of the study point to the fact that, when given the chance to carefully plan their talk in advance, the MPs used the first-person plural and positive self-campaign much more often. On the other hand, in their spontaneous talk, the MPs more often referred to themselves as individuals and resorted more readily to addressing others using negative presentation strategies. Their prepared talk was therefore crafted and tailored for political effect through the use of consciously employed persuasive strategies that relate to the choice of person. It is suggested that the comparison of pre-scripted and unscripted political talk can reveal underlying political ideologies.

Discourse in the shadows: Discursive construction and the Northern Ireland Assembly

Parliamentary discourse (PD) is shaped by pre-defined rules, which may be strategically transgressed to achieve political goals. Here, we examine a relatively unique form of PD, the discourse of the ‘Shadow Assembly’, which was tasked with establishing the procedures of the new Northern Ireland Assembly (1998). Using a discursive constructionist perspective, which emphasizes the intersection between social theory and sociolinguistics, we examine how Members of the Assembly vie to discursively establish the fundamental parameters of political behaviour within the Assembly. These included address terms, speaking rights and, indeed, which language members should speak. Hence, we have a rare opportunity to examine how discursive construction mediates the future forms of interactional limits and constraints. In particular, we consider PD in a context where the rules are not pre-established and there is, moreover, a strong history of socio-political conflict. We also consider the role of culture in shaping and constituting PD.

Linguistic creativity and institutional design: the case of Greek parliamentary discourse

Creative language in Greek parliamentary discourse is investigated here in order to show that Greek parliamentarians strategically resort to such language as a means of criticism and collective party identity construction. The proposed microanalysis is combined with a macroanalysis considering linguistic creativity to correlate with the particularities of the Greek political system and the topic discussed in such debates. Taking into account the institutional parameters influencing the properties of parliamentary discourse suggested by political science, it is argued that the conditions and goals of deliberation in the Greek parliament favour the presence of creative language.

Adversarial Discourse in Prime Minister’s Questions

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) are a weekly 30-minute parliamentary session, in which the prime minister (PM) responds to questions from both government and opposition members of parliament (MPs). In this study, 18 PMQs (April-November, 2007) were analysed, 9 with Labour PM Tony Blair, 9 with his successor Gordon Brown; in all 18 sessions, their opponent was Conservative Party leader David Cameron. In PMQs, MPs are expected to converse through questions and replies, while refraining from “unparliamentary language” (e.g., direct insults to another MP). However, within these constraints, PMQs are notorious for adversarial discourse, analysed in this study through the concept of face-threatening acts (FTAs). Six distinctive ways in which FTAs are performed by the leader of the opposition in questions and five distinctive ways in which the PM may counter FTAs in replies were identified. Overall, it is proposed that face aggravation in PMQs is not just an acceptable form of parliamentary discourse, it is both sanctioned and rewarded, a means whereby MPs may enhance their own status through aggressive facework.

Xenoracism: Towards a Critical Understanding of the Construction of Asylum Seekers and its Implications for Social Work Practice

This paper introduces the concept of xenoracism to social work in order to increase practitioners' awareness of the ever-shifting parameters of exclusionary discourses and to provide social work with a more in-depth understanding of current social policy for asylum seekers. It argues that social work continues to rely on outdated views and old-fashioned definitions of racism yet exclusionary discourses have since moved on. The paper posits that if concerns about social work's complicity in oppressive and racist practices are to be fully addressed, a more critical perspective that is underpinned by an understanding of how asylum seekers as a social group are constructed is needed. This paper uses discourse analysis to deconstruct the ways asylum seekers are constructed in governmental and parliamentary discourses. The aim is to illuminate how the construction of asylum seekers is underpinned by xenoracism and how social workers are not immune to these discourses. Given the (xeno)racist manner in which asylum seekers are constructed, the paper illuminates and underscores the inherent ethical dilemmas for social work. It concludes by discussing the implications of these issues for social work.

Analyzing parliamentary discourse: systemic functional perspective

Naujausi diskurso tyrimai rodo, kad parlamento diskursas laikytinas viena formaliausių ir savo normas turinčių politinio diskurso atmainų. Šis diskursas apibrėžiamas specifiniais konteksto bruožais, t. y. vieta, dalyviais ir tematika, o jo tyrimai neatskiriami nuo konteksto analizės. Konteksto analizė kalbotyroje sietina su sistemine funkcine gramatika, kurioje kalba suprantama kaip „socialinis semiotinis“ reiškinys, tirtinas konkrečiame socialiniame kontekste. Straipsnyje aprašomu tyrimu siekiama parodyti sisteminių funkcinių parametrų svarbą parlamento diskurso analizei. Empiriniai tyrimo duomenys rinkti iš transkribuotų Didžiosios Britanijos Bendruomenių rūmų ir Latvijos Seimo debatų. Analizė atskleidė tam tikrų leksikos vartojimo panašumų anglų ir latvių kalbose, pavyzdžiui, abiejų šalių parlamentarai vartoja sustabarėjusių mandagumo pasakymų ir veiksmažodinių junginių, laikytinų indeksinėmis struktūromis. Vis dėlto konteksto analizės metodas, taikytas laikantis sisteminės funkcinės tradicijų, iškėlė netikėtų konteksto kategorijų apibrėžties ir sampratos nenuoseklumų. Tyrimo išvadose teigiama, jog tolesnė sisteminės funkcinės teorijos sėkmė priklausys nuo to, ar tyrėjams pavyks tiksliau apibrėžti konteksto analizės parametrus.

Tarifautonomie zwischen Funktions- und Handlungsfähigkeit

Hardly an episode has changed the relationship between state and workers’ unions with such lasting effects as the amendment of § 116 of the Employment Promotion Act in 1986. An analysis of the political, particularly the parliamentary discourse in the context of the amendment shows that state actors justified the modification of the trade unions’ capacity to actwith maintaining the functional capability of collective negotiationswithout state intervention. The article discusses the different interpretations between government and trade unions regarding functioning collective negotiations, as well as the structural causes and institutional consequences of the revision.

Community discourse about politics in Northern Ireland

Political and parliamentary discourse analysis is a well-established field of research. Such work focuses on the patterns and processes of political discourse and their relation to wider issues and ideologies. In this article, we aim to further understanding of sociopolitical processes by shifting the focus from parliamentary to community discourse about political life. With reference to data from post-devolution Northern Ireland, we examine how political and parliamentary processes are discussed and interpreted at the level of community discourse. Through this approach, we demonstrate: (a) how politics is interpreted differently within different local frames of reference; and (b) how these interpretations are grounded within broader (global) narratives and ideologies of politics. Thus, “lay” interpretations of politics can be seen as finely balanced between local and global concerns.

Parliamentary discourse in newspaper articles

The present paper aims, first, at analysing how and why parliamentary debates are transformed into newspaper articles with a narrative-like format; and, second, at proposing a model for integrating this kind of material and analysis into a literacy-based language teaching programme. Our data consists of Greek parliamentary proceedings and newspaper articles on parliamentary debates. Based on the critical discourse analysis framework and the social constructionist paradigm, we support the claim that the linguistic construction of social events in the press aims at creating and/or maintaining a bond between the newspapers and the readers sharing the same political and ideological standpoints. In this context, we suggest that getting familiar with the linguistic resources and discourse practices used in parliamentary and media discourse is crucial for developing a critical awareness of these genres. Finally, specific tasks are proposed aiming at reinforcing students’ critical awareness of newspaper articles on parliamentary debates.

Figurational dynamics and parliamentary discourses of living standards in Ireland1

While the concept of living standards remains central to political debate, it has become marginal in sociological research compared to the burgeoning attention given to the topic of consumer culture in recent decades. However, they both concern how one does and should consume, and, indeed, behave at particular times. I use the theories of Norbert Elias to explain the unplanned but structured (ordered) changes in expected standards of living over time. This figurational approach is compared to other alternative explanations, particularly those advanced by Bourdieu, Veblen and Baudrillard. Though these offer some parallels with Elias's theories, I argue that consumption standards are produced and transformed through the changing dependencies and power relations between social classes. They cannot be reduced to the intentions, interests or ambitions of particular elites, nor to the needs of social systems. Using qualitative data from parliamentary debates in Ireland to trace changing norms and ideals of consumption, as well as historical data to reconstruct shifts in social interdependencies, I further contend that discourses of living standards and luxury are vital aspects of the growing identification and empathy between classes, which in turn encourages greater global integration in the face of emigration and national decline.

‘The wolf wakes up inside them, grows werewolf hair and reveals all their bullying’: The representation of parliamentary discourse in Greek newspapers

The present paper investigates how journalists create dialogical networks involving parliamentary discourse and newspaper articles via the reproduction of extracts coming from MPs’ speeches. Drawing on critical discourse analysis and assuming that news is a value-laden construction of facts through language, a comparative analysis of parliamentary proceedings and related newspaper articles is conducted. The articles collected cover a specific parliamentary debate on a particularly ‘hot’ issue in Greek society, namely a new bill introducing the interview as part of the procedure for the selection and recruitment of civil servants. The analysis shows that the facts reported seem to be selected not on the basis of their political or legal significance, but on the basis of their unusual consequences on parliamentary procedures. Special emphasis is given to the reconstruction of direct speech in newspaper narratives and to the use of metaphor as a conversational resource employed by MPs and reproduced by journalists in an attempt to attract their readers’ interest and arouse their emotions. Rather than informing the public on the actual parliamentary work, journalists mostly aim at creating and/or maintaining solidarity between readers and newspapers of the same political and ideological orientation.

A framework for the systematic analysis of evasion in parliamentary discourse

Evasion (equivocation) has been identified as a matter of concern in political interviews, but no systematic study has been undertaken in the context of parliamentary discourse, notably Question Time, anywhere in the world. This study applies and adapts various approaches on how politicians ‘resist’ answering questions, all of which are based on political news interviews, to the study of evasion in parliamentary discourse. A comprehensive, unified framework for the analysis of evasion is described, a decision flow-chart for the framework is provided, and an illustrative example of the applied framework is given based on Australia's Question Time. It involved the classification of responses as ‘answers’, ‘intermediate responses’, and ‘evasions’ based on specific criteria. Responses which were considered evasions were further analysed to determine the levels of evasion, whether they were covert or overt in nature and the types of ‘agenda shifts’ that occurred, if any. The corpus investigated consists of Australia's House of Representatives’ Question Time transcripts, for the months of February and March 2003, on the specific issue of Iraq. The study provides empirical evidence that evasion does occur during parliamentary Question Time.

Immigration and Imagination of Nationhood in the German Parliament

Immigration policy and debate can reveal how a nation imagines itself. This study examines the dialectic between immigration and German nationhood in the context of the parliamentary debates between 2002 and 2006. Contents and discourse analyses of transcripts of the Bundestag were supplemented with interviews with policymakers. Our interpretation of the data reveals two distinct narratives: that Muslim immigration is a threat to the democratic order of the German state; and that immigration constitutes a utility serving economical and social objectives. European Union regulations, party politics, and the nature of parliamentary speech also play a role in framing parliamentary discourse of immigration and nationhood.

Humor and image politics in parliamentary discourse: a Greek case study

The present study investigates the function of humor in parliamentary discourse. The data under examination come from the offcial proceedings of the Greek parliament and involve two main protagonists, the Greek prime minister and the leader of the opposition. The analysis reveals that parliamentary humor is used as a means of constructing and damaging participants' public image and political identity as well as attacking the opponent without violating parliamentary rules of behavior. Moreover, humor is used to introduce an informal tone to parliamentary procedures, thus distracting the attention of the wider audience from the important issues discussed in parliamentary debates. The negotiation of the humorous frame between the two politicians shows that, in settings where the serious mode of communication typically prevails, humor may be used at the expense of the humorist, thus canceling his/her efforts. Apparently, contextual parameters and genre rules and expectations play a significant role in successful humorous behavior.