Uniting or Dividing the Public? A Poststructural Investigation into whether Theresa May’s ‘Evil Ideology’ Speech, following the London Bridge Attack, Constituted Public Discourse
This thesis explores the ways that elite discourse may influence public opinion, through the example of Theresa May’s speech following the 2017 London Bridge terror attack. A deconstruction of the speech aims to illuminate any hidden meanings within the text, as well as discussing its intended messages. It is assumed that in the wake of the tragic event, May was attempting to command a sense of strength and unity within the public. However, the analysis of the text highlights the ways that the language used in the speech might instead divide the public, and consequently marginalize Muslims in the UK. The language used by May contains linguistic signifiers that carry connotations from a wider discursive legacy, post-9/11. Therefore, the public consumes the speech not in a vacuum, but as part of a history of rhetoric surrounding the War on Terror. Also, through subjective representations of the text, the media act as a lens for the public to consume the speech. By exploring social media platform Twitter, as well as comments under online news articles, it becomes clear that elite speech can affect and constitute public discourse, resulting in attitudes of hostility towards Muslims
Year of publication: |
2022
|
---|---|
Authors: | Grant, Charlie |
Publisher: |
[S.l.] : SSRN |
Subject: | Großbritannien | United Kingdom | London | Ideologie | Ideology | Öffentliche Meinung | Public opinion | Diskurstheorie | Discourse theory |
Saved in:
freely available
Extent: | 1 Online-Ressource (76 p) |
---|---|
Type of publication: | Book / Working Paper |
Language: | English |
Notes: | Nach Informationen von SSRN wurde die ursprüngliche Fassung des Dokuments September 15, 2021 erstellt |
Other identifiers: | 10.2139/ssrn.4010957 [DOI] |
Source: | ECONIS - Online Catalogue of the ZBW |
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10014085790
Saved in favorites
Similar items by subject
-
Discourse analysis : analysing talk and text
Crane, Lesley, (2017)
-
Business ethics in three European countries : a comparative approach
Seidel, Fred, (2011)
-
The people against Europe : the Eurosceptic challenge to the United Kingdom's coalition government
Gifford, Chris, (2014)
- More ...