This edited book is an innovative collection of studies―pioneering scholarship systematically exploring the various features of debasement language used by political leaders in their speeches, statements, and remarks during parliamentary and other official as well as unofficial, private activities. The book examines in particular the forms, functions, and effects of political debasement in Western and non-Western countries, including Spain, Malaysia, the UK, Japan, China, India, Montenegro, Greece, Poland, and Israel. It addresses the growing interest in recent years in issues related to the increase of debasement in the public sphere. These include high-echelon politicians’ invective and vulgarity toward their colleagues in houses of parliament; their abusive and cynical language toward sections of the public, including women and minorities; and their crude sarcasm and irony expressed toward media representatives. The book focuses on those instances where political leaders at the very highest-level employ debasement discourse; it identifies the specific language they use in different political cultures and under different situations; the reasons for using this type of language; and its consequences. The book brings together a team of distinguished political scientists, communication and linguistics researchers, and social and political psychologists, with expert backgrounds and experience in understanding the reciprocal interaction between language and politics, in this case: debasement. They discuss and provide a number of novel insights of theoretical and practical importance regarding debasing discourse, as well as potential avenues for future research on the nature and effect of this type of language.
Author(s): Ofer Feldman
Series: The Language of Politics
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 252
City: Singapore
Preface
Contents
Contributors
1 Assessing the Politics of Debasement: From Impoliteness to Demonization in Political Communication
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Debasement and Political Debasement
1.3 Debasement and Incivility
1.4 Assessing Political Debasement
1.4.1 Narrow Sense Debasement
1.4.2 Broad Sense Debasement
1.5 Modes of Interaction Between Debaser(s) and Their Target(s)
1.6 Model: Elements and Research Questions in Political Debasement
1.6.1 The Debasers
1.6.2 The Target
1.6.3 The Type of Debasement Language That Is Used
1.6.4 The Setting in Which Debasement Takes Place
1.6.5 The Manner in Which Debasement Expression Is Presented
1.6.6 The Motives Behind Expression of Debasement
1.6.7 The Effect or Potential Effect of Debasement Language
1.6.8 The Political and Socio-Cultural Environment Context
1.7 Overview of the Volume
References
Part I Incivility in Deliberative Bodies
2 Adversarial Attacks in Spanish Politics: Direct and Indirect Forms
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Survey of the Literature
2.3 The Spanish Political Context
2.4 Methodology and Corpus
2.5 Analysis and Discussion
2.5.1 Direct Forms
2.5.2 Indirect Forms
2.6 Conclusion
References
3 Of Toddy, Tongsan, and Bigfoot from Kinabatangan: The Use of Impolite Language in the Malaysian Parliament
3.1 Introduction
3.1.1 The System
3.1.2 Terlajak Perahu Boleh Diundur, Terlajak Kata Buruk Padahnya
3.1.3 The Political Scene
3.2 Methodology
3.3 Case Study: The Use of Debasing Language in the Malaysian Parliament
3.4 Conclusions
References
4 Incivility from the UK Prime Minister’s Dispatch Box: A Comparative Study of PM Question Time Attacks, 2010–2020
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Political Incivility in British Politics
4.2.1 Case: Questions to the Prime Minister (PMQs)
4.3 Data Collection and Method of Analysis
4.4 Results
4.5 Conclusions
References
Part II Disparaging Officeholders, Aspiring Politicians, and Members of the Public
5 Challenging Etiquette: Insults, Sarcasm, and Irony in Japanese Politicians’ Discourse
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Communication Etiquette in Japanese Society and Politics
5.3 Insults, Ridicule and Belittling Expressions in Politicians’ Discourse
5.3.1 Misogynistic, Insulting and Humiliating Comments Towards Women
5.3.2 Discriminatory Statement on Gender Equality and LGBT Rights
5.3.3 Other Comments on Individuals and Groups within Japanese Society
5.4 Discussion
5.5 Conclusions
References
6 Consistency and Change: Derogatory Language in Chinese Leaders’ Speeches
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Debasement Language: The Revolutionary Era
6.3 Removing the Intellectuals’ “Bourgeois Hat” and Vigilance Against Bourgeois Liberalizers
6.4 Continuous Debasement Against the Corrupt
6.5 Discussion and Conclusion
References
7 Rahul Gandhi as “Prince” and Pappu: The Hindu Right's Politics of Ridicule
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Theoretical Overview
7.3 Method
7.4 The Making of Pappu and Shehzada
7.5 Discussion and Conclusion
References
8 Use of Labels and Attributes for Degrading Opponents in Montenegro’s Political Discourse
8.1 Introduction
8.2 The Montenegrin Political Context
8.3 Theoretical Background and Previous Research
8.3.1 Other-Delegitimization and Lexicalization
8.3.2 Debasement in Political Discourse
8.3.3 Previous Related Research
8.4 Corpus and Analytical Steps
8.5 Analysis
8.5.1 Targets of the Debasing Labels and Attributes
8.5.2 Semantic Classification of Debasing Labels and Attributes
8.6 Discussion and Conclusion
References
Part III Humiliating, Ridiculing, and Degrading Power Holders
9 Greek Political Discourse, 2019–2022: Instrumentalizing Impoliteness and Aggression
9.1 Introduction
9.2 The Overall Context: Greek Politics 2008–2022
9.3 Analysis
9.4 Conclusion
References
10 Incivility in the Language of the Powerful: Derisive and Debasing Discourse in Polish Politics
10.1 Introduction
10.2 The Rise of Populist Incivility in Polish Politics
10.3 Debasement as Taboo-Breaking Through Offensive Language: Method and Data
10.4 Analysis
10.4.1 Debasement in a Parliamentary Debate
10.4.2 Mediated Materials
10.4.3 Social Media
10.5 Conclusion
References
11 The Israeli National Camp’s Political Rhetoric of Debasement as a New Nationalist Populist (NNP) Tool
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Between Debasement and NNP
11.3 Debasement in the Zionist and Israeli Political Landscape
11.4 The National Camp and Its Debasing Rhetoric
11.4.1 Strong and Greater Israel
11.4.2 An Illiberal Israeli Democracy
11.4.3 Humiliating Rivals
11.5 Discussion and Conclusion
References
Part IV Conclusions
12 The Linguistic and Cultural Ambiguities of Parliamentary Political Invective
12.1 Introduction
12.2 The Research Problematics of Debasing Invective
12.3 An Intensity Scale of Invective
12.3.1 A Typology of (Political) Invective
12.4 Factors Determining the Harshness of Political Invective
12.4.1 Invective Chronology: Semantic Change Over Time
12.4.2 Invective Comprehension: Dissimilar Audiences
12.4.3 Invective Context: Different Impact
12.4.4 Invective Extent: Localized or Across-the-Board
12.4.5 Invective Medium
12.4.6 Non-Verbal Attack
12.4.7 Invective Ambiguity
12.5 Comparative Studies
12.6 (Tentative) Conclusions
References
Index
