Political Discourse Research Articles

Queering ontological (in)security: a psychoanalysis of political homophobia

ABSTRACT Recent advancements in ontological security (OS) derived from Lacan’s psychoanalysis rethink the concept in terms of the subject’s desire for completeness through attempting stabilised and fixed identities. This approach can offer a novel way to examine the rise of political homophobia where power works pervasively. However, the current conceptualisations of ontological (in)security are not theoretically equipped to unpack and examine such violent politics. This is mainly because ontological (in)security has yet to grapple with the concept of power. This article will address this gap and rethink Lacanian ontological (in)security as a framework for critical power analysis. It equips it with two theoretical moves: Queer studies, which advances the understanding of ‘the other’ and ‘othering’, and emotions research, which demonstrates how emotions work in othering, in International Relations. These two theoretical moves enable the framework to examine how emotions do political work to (re)produce binaries such as subject and object, ‘self’ and ‘other’, and ‘normal’ and ‘perverse’ in the subject production process in heteronormative ‘regimes of normal’. Consequently, Lacanian ontological (in)security can help us understand how and why a gendered and sexualised politics is normalised. The argument will be illustrated through analysis of emotional representations of LGBTQI+ communities in the state-level political discourse in Turkey.

The veil of resistance in Shaheen Bagh: Muslim women’s activism and the differential solidarity networks

ABSTRACT This paper seeks to comprehensively examine the complex dynamics surrounding the protests of Muslim women at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India. It emphasizes the emergence of distinct forms of solidarity among this unassuming group of women and underscores the significance of their collective action in challenging prevailing narratives within South Asian feminist discourse. The paper posits the CAA protests as emblematic of the evolving interplay between digital platforms, grassroots activism, and scholarly dialogue in contemporary South Asia. Furthermore, the paper elucidates how the modalities of resistance in South Asian revolutionary politics diverge from the traditional binary framework of Gandhian Satyagraha and radical leftist revolutionary strategies. The protests which also interweaved Dalit Ambedkarite politics, digital hashtag movements, counter-ableist politics also exemplified the ways in which identity politics in South Asia could be reconfigured in terms of a differential paradigm. The paper explores how the protests at Shaheen Bagh exemplify a nuanced approach to resistance that transcends simplistic categorizations, thereby contributing to a reconfiguration of established paradigms in the region's political discourse. This analysis underscores the complex interplay between diverse ideological currents and grassroots mobilization, illuminating the evolving landscape of resistance within South Asia's socio-political context.

Youth Services: Culture, Community, & Learning

The ALISE Youth Services Special Interest Group (SIG) presents a panel exploring the ways in which youth services in libraries empower youth and families and how youth programs address learning and incorporate culturally-relevant approaches. The session will begin with presentations of papers (15 minutes each) plus a themed question and answer portion to conclude. Attendees will be able to share their own experiences and work in progress on these topics in the discussion. Cahill, Joo, Minniear, LeFebvre, & Garcia will present “Math Talk in Public Library Virtual Storytime Programs.” This work presents an analysis of mathematics content integrated in public library virtual storytime programs. Cahill et al. characterize the mathematics environment of public library virtual storytime programs, discuss whether there are differences in the virtual storytime mathematics environment based on the population density of the community the library serves (i.e. urban, suburban, town, rural) and on library size. Preliminary findings suggest substantial differences in the amount of mathematics-related talk across virtual storytime programming for children. Kim, Choi, & Kang will present “Family Makers: A Culturally Relevant Online Engineering Programming for Youth Through Research-Practice Partnership with Public Library Professionals.” This work details research-practice partnership with seven rural libraries across the U.S using co-design and culturally-relevant pedagogy to develop the Family Makers program and strengthen library staff to deliver engineering learning opportunities. Kim et al. will discuss the importance of leveraging families’ cultural practices of making and forms of everyday sensemaking to design for family learning in engineering and highlight that rural library staff can support family learning in engineering by drawing on their personal experiences, relational knowledge, and non-engineering expertise as resources. Zalot will present “The kids are alright:” Understanding Youth Agency in Book Banning Discourse.” This presentation will discuss some of the factors influencing the absence of young people in book banning discourse and how social media operates as a means of access for young people in both book banning and political discourses. Youth services can nurture youth, community, and support learning and family connection. This presentation and the subsequent attendee discussion will explore the ways that the LIS field can work to address these and other community needs through excellent youth services.

Proposals for the Prevention Health Consequences of Heat Stress as a Cross-sectional Task in the Health Care System

Climate change is the greatest threat to human health in the 21st century. Climate change poses a significant threat to human health in Germany, with increasing heatwaves causing high mortality rates. In recent years, the German medical profession has become increasingly concerned with the consequences of climate change, particularly extreme temperatures and heat, for human health. Although the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) issues heat warnings, there is a lack of comprehensive heat action plans (HAPs). Initiatives such as the "Berlin Heat Protection Action Alliance" offer sector-specific plans for healthcare facilities. There is an urgent need for action in the healthcare sector, as doctors play a key role in implementing heat protection measures and advocating for action against climate change. In addition to initiatives such as signing the "Climate Pact for Health" and raising awareness among stakeholders in the healthcare sector, increased education about heat-related health risks is essential. The results emphasise the urgency of measures in the healthcare sector in the face of advancing climate change. The medical profession plays a key role in the implementation of heat protection measures and should be actively involved in the planning and implementation of HAPs. Education and training on heat and health is essential in the health sector. Registration for heat warnings from the DWD (www.hitzewarnungen.de) is recommended, followed by sensitisation of decision-makers and employees in healthcare facilities. The medical profession has a crucial responsibility in the implementation of heat protection measures and should actively position itself and contribute to the political discussion on heat and climate change.

Executive hour or political competition in times of crisis?—An analysis of public crisis reporting on the COVID‐19 lockdowns in Germany

AbstractWhile much work has looked at how governments responded to the Corona pandemic, little consideration has been given to how the crisis affected party competition and what positions political actors took during this period. How were political actors' positions on COVID‐19 portrayed in daily newspapers? And how can we explain these patterns? To answer these questions, this article examines the discourse surrounding both German lockdown decisions by analyzing the public coverage of two German daily newspapers. By means of discourse network analysis, the most central actors of the public discourse are revealed at first. Second, relevant factors influencing the discourse centrality of political actors are analyzed. Therefore, a linear regression is performed to identify party‐political factors that have a significant influence on political actors' discourse centrality. Participation in the executive branch in the Länder and federal level as well as having candidate status emerge as central factors influencing discourse centrality.

Theoretical and Legal Foundations for the Protection of Environmental Rights as Part of Political Rights in Kyrgyzstan

This article examines the theoretical and legal foundations for the protection of environmental rights as integral components of political rights in the Kyrgyz Republic. It explores the evolution of environmental rights within the broader framework of human rights and political freedoms, highlighting their significance in the context of sustainable development and democratic governance. The study analyzes the existing legal frameworks, including constitutional provisions and international agreements, that support the recognition and enforcement of environmental rights in Kyrgyzstan. It also addresses the challenges and opportunities in integrating environmental rights into the political rights discourse, emphasizing the role of civic engagement, public policy, and legal reforms. The findings underscore the importance of strengthening legal mechanisms to ensure the effective protection of environmental rights as fundamental political rights, contributing to the overall enhancement of environmental governance in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The Slavonic Epistles of Basarab the Elder to the Transylvanian Saxons (1474–1476)

The Slavonic letters dispatched by the voivodes of Wallachia to Brașov, where they remain preserved to this day, constitute a major and invaluable source for the fifteenth-century history of Wallachia. In this article, our primary objective is to readdress the undated Slavonic epistolary corpus attributed to Basarab the Elder, who ruled Wallachia with several interruptions between 1473 and 1477. These epistles were addressed by the Wallachian voivode to the Saxon town of Brașov, while the answers of the Saxon authorities to the Wallachian lord did not generally survive. A diligent analysis of the clerks’ handwriting habits alongside a comparative investigation with other types of documentary evidence, such as charters, might not only suggest new reasoned dates for these Slavonic letters, but also could enlarge other research horizons, such as the Romanian-Ottoman relations, the history of audiences and of medieval political discourse, the political thought of the Wallachian lords, the careers of the scribes working in the chancellery, or the functional dynamics of the princely chancellery. Our essay aims to revisit this epistolary corpus through several analytical methods highlighting the usefulness and the potential of such approaches for future research.

State of Democracy in Central Europe after the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

The central question of this article is why Russian military aggression in Ukraine has failed to strengthen support for democracy and cooperation with partners in some Central European countries. In addition, the article examines the link between military conflict in the immediate neighbourhood and the crisis of democracy. Based on a review of the extensive literature on the crisis of democracy, the article integrates findings from several opinion polls conducted in Central European countries. Looking primarily at the Visegrad countries, clear patterns emerge in responses and attitudes towards Russia. We can see the influence of the political discourse in these countries, the narratives used by political elites and, more recently, war fatigue and economic consequences. The article argues that a military conflict in the vicinity of democratic countries exacerbates the crisis of democracy. The information warfare that is part of this conflict and the susceptibility of the political elite to the dissemination of enemy propaganda undermines trust in democratic institutions and democracy.

The Social Memory of Sexual Violence: "You Touch One, You Touch Us All".

The social imaginary that legitimizes sexual violence is continuously reinforced by discourses that are deployed in the aftermath of physical attacks. These, in turn, nourish a specific type of collective memory from which clear social identities emerge. This article identifies the textual trajectories of social meanings associated with sexual violence and their discursive expressions in media, legal, and political discourses. The examples provided here are related to the Spanish "wolf pack case" and its social and political consequences. It concludes that the case not only generated a conceptual battle about violence but also a mnemonic dispute related to newly interpellated subjectivities.

Forging support: when there is no alternative to ‘there is no alternative’

Abstract Whether fiscal austerity by governments is unpopular or not is much discussed in the literature. One line of research argues that consolidation has negative electoral effects, ranging from declines in politicians’ approval ratings to abstention by voters at elections. Another strand highlights that re-election chances are not harmed by the implementation of austerity and that some voters in fact support consolidation measures. Both sides are limited in at least two regards. First, they do not allow for the possibility that public opinion is shaped by the political discussion about government debts and budget deficits. Second, and relatedly, the literature is limited in its extent to which it considers heterogeneity in preference adaptation across income groups. This article contributes to these debates by bringing to bear insights from the literature on mass preference formation. In particular, I argue that a cross-party consensus on austerity leads voters to align their preferences with the consensus, increasingly demanding cuts to government spending. This adaptation is conditioned by income so that the preferences of those income groups that are the furthest away from the consensus adapt their fiscal preferences most. By including the discursive context of fiscal policy, this article helps explain how austerity can be made popular. Empirically, I test these expectations by matching citizen preferences with party positions on fiscal policy for 60 country years. The empirical results indeed demonstrate that even though low- and middle-income voters are least supportive of austerity, they adapt the most to the party consensus on austerity.

“The Sweetness of the Persian Tongue”: the Limits of Poetry in Medieval and Early Modern Georgia

Abstract The history of medieval Georgian poetry is long and complicated. Placed between Persian and Byzantine commonwealths, the unification of the Georgian kingdom under the Bagratids in the eleventh century brought about a dramatic cultural revival. The formation and development of what is known as secular poetry was a reaction to the simultaneous adoption and adaptation of Persian and Byzantine elements by Georgian culture. As a result, over time, a distinct literary genre was shaped, with its own linguistic, graphic, and poetic registers – emerged, which was often contrasted with ecclesiastic writing alongside a a rigid differentiation between secular and religious writing generally and poetry specifically. The present paper identifies the origins and reasons for such a differentiation in early modern and modern political and literary discourses. While it mentions many poems from the twelfth to the seventeenth century, two relatively early theories of poetry are discussed in detail: Ephrem Mc‘ire’s (twelfth-century) reference to the “form and substance” dichotomy in poetry and Shota Rust‘aveli’s (twelfth- or thirteenth-century) vision of what does and what does not constitute proper poetry. In subsequent centuries, these discussion about the limits of poetry were integrated into identity discourses, as illustrated by the numerous sequels to and emulations of Rust‘aveli, and fed into a certain anxiety over Georgian culture within the context of total Persian dominance

Identity politics and the politics of difference: critical transformations in contemporary thought

This article explores the relationship between identity politics and the politics of difference, focusing especially on the tensions that characterise this relationship within progressive theories and political discourses, and on their implications. The development of the concepts of identity and difference, as well as their limits and possibilities, are examined in relation to several theorists: Slavoj Žižek, Jacques Derrida, Jacques Lacan, Julia Kristeva, Michel Foucault, Cornel West and Judith Butler. This is followed by a discussion of Fromm’s social psychology insofar as it anticipates the growing importance of the concepts of identity and difference within late modern culture, and insofar as it identifies a number of critical concerns around these concepts which remain relevant today.

The Concept of Hijab in Selected Political Speeches: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Recently, Hijab has evolved from being as just a religious matter to become one of the most contentious subject in Western societies. The influence of these controversies brought to mind fear, terror, and coercion to Islam. Therefore, this study aims to explore the textual features of Hijab in political discourses by examining power and ideologies found in political speeches. Thus, the study employs a critical discourse analysis to examine the representation of Hijab surrounding political speeches by adopting the three-dimensional framework of Fairclough (1989, 2001). The researcher uses a qualitative method of research to examine and describe the current study. The linguistic investigation of this study reveals that politicians use different expressions; as to show personal beliefs, enmity, hatred to express their hidden messages and ideologies by using certain pronouns and vocabulary. It also concludes that politicians use various negative words, formal and informal language. As for the ideological analysis, the ideology is based on a secular views and limited to political attitudes.

ADAM SMITH’S PLURALISM AND THE SCIENCE OF THE LEGISLATOR

It is well established that we can make sense of Adam Smith’s multi-faceted account of human agency without incurring “das Adam Smith-Problem”. However, the relevance of his view of knowledge and agency for political economy as science of the legislator deserves to be studied more carefully. Smith’s view of human agency is linked to political realism and pragmatic pluralism, emphasizing the benefits of the knowledge made available by scientific “systems”, but also their limitations and incompleteness. Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments, seen together with his realist discussions of mercantilist politics are suggesting explanatory and pragmatic advantages of such pluralism, while opening up horizons of problem-responsive second-best reforms avoiding fallacies of “the man of system”.

Public Perception of Hate Speech on Social Media (Facebook) during the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria

In the contemporary global landscape, the advent of information and communication technology has interconnected societies, fostering increased civic engagement. Notably, social media platforms, a manifestation of this technological innovation, play a vital role in political discourse, drawing active participation from politicians, political parties, and their supporters. However, the utilization of these platforms in the context of electoral campaigns, particularly in nations like Nigeria, has raised concerns due to the dissemination of political information carrying adverse repercussions. This study delves into the examination of the public's perceptions regarding hate speech on Facebook during Nigeria's 2023 general elections. Employing a survey research strategy and leveraging convenient sampling, data were collected from residents within the geographical scope of Kwali Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria. The research framework drew upon the public sphere theory to elucidate its core objectives. Findings underscored the prevalence of hate speech on Facebook during the 2023 elections, attributing it to factors such as financial inducements, conspiracies, lack of citizen journalist training, religious interests, and sectional, tribal, and political influences. Notably, Facebook emerged as a platform for disseminating speeches that fueled animosity toward politicians, tribes, religions, and sections, instigating widespread antipathy without substantial knowledge of the targeted individuals or candidates. The research also highlighted the use of Facebook for insults, harassment, and the propagation of divisive narratives, contributing to tribal and religious conflicts, heightened tensions, attacks, disparities, and internal discord. This study's implications suggest a potential undermining of Nigeria's democratic progress. As a remedy, the study advocates for the responsible and positive use of social media platforms by users, especially during critical events such as elections.

Государственный интерес как политическая формула власти: по пути Н. Макиавелли

The article is dedicated to the state interest concept that emerged in the political science of the early modern period. State interest as a political formula is the basic concept of relations to power and legal understanding. A political and legal discourse on this matter was started by famous thinker Niccolo Machiavelli.

Teaching the January 6th Insurrection: Historical Perspectives on a Crisis in American Democracy

Abstract This article offers a framework for analyzing and teaching the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol. The crisis itself offers an opportunity to unpack and better understand American political discourses and institutions. I focus on four historical and contemporary currents that elucidate the January 6th crisis: 1) White supremacy and backlashes against Civil Rights; 2) conservative assaults on the New Deal order and the regulatory state; 3) organized labor’s decline, right-wing populism’s rise, and nativism; 4) political polarization, sectarianism, and minority rule. These themes enable students to assess both crucial challenges posed by January 6th and the vitality of American democracy.

ОНИМ «ГОРЬКИЙ» И РИТОРИКА ПЬЕСЫ «НА ДНЕ» В СОВРЕМЕННОЙ ПОЛИТИЧЕСКОЙ МЕТАФОРЕ

The article examines metaphors from M. Gorky’s play “The Lower Depths” in the printed and electronic media texts of the last decade. In the contemporaty political discourse they are represented in a wide range of structural and functional vatiations: exact quotation; truncated quotation; quotation with the replacement of one part or the introduction of an additional component into the construction; cognitive function, clarifying the nature of a particular social phenomenon or object; emotive-evaluative and modeling functions, clarifying the meaning of a certain social phenomenon or aiming at its discrediting; hypothetical and polemical functions, characterizing civilizational processes. The article reveals that the onym «Gorky» is less spread than Gorkian metaphors in the contemporary as well as in the entire post-Soviet media. In the early Soviet journalism the situation was the opposite. It is noted that in the 1920s Gorkian metaphors were negatively applied to the personality of the writer himself; the 1930s were characterized by the unprecedented frequency of the usage of the onym in order to glorify the writer, while his creative work was quite neglected. Meanwhile, elements of direct and implicit polemics with the author of «The Lower Depths» in contemporary media, and the «Gorky.media» Internet project reveal certain convergence of the onym with the metaphor. The article states that the attention to Gorky’s rhetoric in the media environment is mostly related to the peculiarities of the writer’s creative personality (artist and public figure in one person) as well as to his genre and style preferences (maxims, aphorisms, allegory, symbol, journalistic techniques).

Remixing Britishness: Affect and National Pride in the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony

During the London 2012 Opening Olympic Ceremony, emotional moments such as the torch relay and the celebration of the National Health Service affected many viewers. Such a spectacle of national history and culture was wide-sweeping and is still remembered today as a moment of triumph for the country. With the Paris 2024 Olympics only months away, it becomes timely to observe how the sensorial spectacle of the Olympics works to create a certain emotional effect in its viewers, and how they leave with a specific understanding of what the nation stands for. Crucially, it is imperative to survey the ways in which national histories and cultures have been edited for an "Olympic affect" during the Opening Ceremony and comprehend why they play such a crucial role in contemporary political discourse. The London 2012 Opening Olympic Ceremony revealed a particular perspective on British history, used emotion and spectacle to recount a specific version of events, and attempted to garner a certain sense of national pride during a time of national crisis. In examining specific visual and auditory cues of this Opening Olympic Ceremony, this study will define the "Olympic affect" and examine the idealised Britishness that is performed, so that we may understand what kind of affectual and political power the Olympics hold.

Discursive Practices during an Electoral Cycle: Public Opinion and Political Disillusionment on Twitter

Electoral cycles are highly charged, politically intense moments that influence public discourse. Political elites, citizens, and the traditional news media seek to generate opinions and interactions on social networks. This research is motivated by the following questions: What are the communicative and deliberative practices used in these spaces? Is it possible to identify the characteristics that –through deliberative conversations– potentially foster or undermine democratic debate, particularly when using populist and polarizing discourse? Using a mixed methods approach, we apply a social network analysis tool to track conversations and identify the volume of political discourse (N=346,000). Using selective and staged filtering, we identified posts from nine Peruvian Twitter accounts during the September 2022 electoral campaign in Lima: three candidates, three media outlets, and three accounts with high levels of engagement. Our data comprised the comments from these nine accounts and was extracted using an Application Programming Interface (API). Subsequently, we carried out ethnographic content analysis on publications with more than 30 comments. In this phase, we analyzed Twitter comments using a codebook to identify deliberative practices and user responses. Our findings underscore the significant role of principal media outlets in shaping political conversation on Twitter. We also discovered that attempts to interact and deliberate were often overshadowed by heated comments attempting to impose opinions on others. Most importantly, our research reveals a widespread disillusionment with politics, political institutions, and even the political preferences of fellow citizens in Peru, highlighting a key challenge for democratic discourse on social media.