Analysing Political Discourse: Theory and Practice

by Paul A. Chilton

This is an essential read for anyone interested in the way language is used in the world of politics. Based on Aristotle's premise that we are all political animals, able to use language to pursue our own ends, the book uses the theoretical framework of linguistics to explore the ways in which we think and behave politically. Contemporary and high profile case studies of politicians and other speakers are used, including an examination of the dangerous influence of a politician's words on the defendants in the Stephen Lawrence murder trial.
International in its perspective, Analysing Political Discourse also considers the changing landscape of political language post-September 11, including the increasing use of religious imagery in the political discourse of, amongst others, George Bush.
Written in a lively and engaging style, this book provides an essential introduction to political discourse analysis.

Genres: Linguistics

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Marthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though it took me quite a long time to get through this book -- I found it best to read in smaller bursts, a chapter at a time -- I really enjoyed how the book shows, with much clarity, the intricacies of political discourse and the way it often draws on a presumed shared context (frame of reference) to elicit a shared sentiment (desired by the speaker). I have great admiration and appreciation for the detail Chilton goes into when dissecting utterances of political language, and how he digs into the explicit and implicit meanings behind them.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this for reference use in my thesis, so I'm counting it as part of my reading challenge.