Contrasting concepts of politics, identity and community in academic and activist discourse
(2011) Discourse, politics and interaction — Location: Centre Jacques Berque (28.May.2011)
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- Abstract
- Abstract categories such as politics, identity and community are used in everyday language related to minority politics as well as in the discourse(s) of social science research. In this presentation I contrast uses of such categories in social science interviews with activists and intellectuals involved in the Flemish minority debates with the way such notions are commonly used in minority related research. Illustrating the linguistic pragmatic principle that there is no one-to-one relationship between linguistic forms and functions (Verschueren 1999), I argue in favour of an interpretive and functional heuristic for analysing the way such signifiers are used in social science interviews on such matters. I argue that such a heuristic forces one to avoid both the Scylla of 'mere description' and the Charybdis of projecting concepts onto data and overpowering the voices of interviewees. As a whole, this argument is a call for an interpretive and functional approach to the articulation of abstract categories in political discourse.
- Affiliations
Antwerp Center for Pragmatics Universiteit Antwerpen
Citations
Zienkowski, J. (2011). Contrasting concepts of politics, identity and community in academic and activist discourse. Discourse, politics and interaction, Centre Jacques Berque. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/93494