Towards Legitimisation Studies in contemporary crises
(2024) Political Discourse Analysis: Legitimisation Strategies in Crisis and Conflict — ISBN: [9781399523189], p. 204-240, accepted/in-press
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- In this chapter, cases where political legitimisation strategies may expose their limits will be examined. Can discursive strategies be enhanced or improved to make legitimisation strategies more effective for political actors and thereby reduce the gap between expectation and performance? The exploration of Legitimisation Studies points to the need for Critical Discourse Studies to reappraise how political actors justify their actions in contexts where threat, uncertainty and urgency lead to crisis, and through the medium of conflict between actors. This research draws on the techniques used to legitimise political action, and we take into account the multifarious de-legitimisation strategies also used to spread myths and mistruths and deflect blame and accountability on to political counterparts. Legitimisation signals the need for actors in the political sphere to develop and improve their dialogue with the public and in all areas of the political system. We demonstrate that this dialogue can be improved through didactic discursive strategies (such as the use of metaphors) and contextually-relevant speech acts (such as apologies, compromises, and justifications). The dialogue permitted by the new media between individuals (primarily politicians and the public) is a significant asset in the arsenal of legitimisation strategies. By sharing personal or local experiences of the crisis, questioning the scopes of particular policies and expressing emotions generated by crisis discourse, discourse producers can legitimise their stances. These strategies can help to limit the adverse impacts on political authority and manage the public’s fear, both of which characterise legitimate political discourse on matters of crisis.
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Auge, A. C., & Robert Butler. (2024). Towards Legitimisation Studies in contemporary crises. In Robert Butler (ed.), Political Discourse Analysis: Legitimisation Strategies in Crisis and Conflict (Edinburgh University Press, p. p. 204-240). Edinburgh University Press. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/235581