Synopses & Reviews
How do we construct national identities in discourse? Which topics, which discursive strategies and which linguistic devices are employed to construct national sameness and uniqueness on the one hand, and differences to other national collectives on the other hand? The Discursive Construction of National Identity analyses discourses of national identity in Europe with particular attention to Austria.In the tradition of critical discourse analysis, the authors analyse current and on-going transformations in the self-and other definition of national identities using an innovative interdisciplinary approach which combines discourse-historical theory and methodology and political science perspectives. Thus, the rhetorical promotion of national identification and the discursive construction and reproduction of national difference on public, semi-public and semi-private levels within a nation state are analysed in much detail and illustrated with a huge amount of examples taken from many genres (speeches, focus-groups, interviews, media, and so forth). In addition to the critical discourse analysis of multiple genres accompanying various commemorative and celebratory events in 1995, this extended and revised edition is able to draw comparisons with similar events in 2005. The impact of socio-political changes in Austria and in the European Union is also made transparent in the attempts of constructing hegemonic national identities.
Synopsis
Which topics, discursive strategies, and linguistic devices are employed in the construction of national sameness and uniqueness on the one hand and difference to other national collectives on the other? This volume examines European discourses of national identity, paying particular attention to Austria. The authors interpret ongoing transformations of the self and the other through a combination of historical theory and methodology and political science. They consider the rhetorical promotion of national identification and the linguistic construction and reproduction of national difference multiple levels within the nation state. This expanded and revised edition covers the impact of socio-political changes in Austria and in the European Union and the attempt to construct hegemonic national identities.
Synopsis
This book analyses discourses of national identity in Europe with particular attention to Austria.
About the Author
Ruth Wodak is Distinguished Professor of Discourse Studies at the Lancaster University Rudolf de Cillia is Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Vienna Martin Reisigl is Lecturer in Linguistics at the University of Vienna Karin Liebhart is Researcher in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Vienna