Open AccessLegitimizing through Language: Political Discourse Worlds in Northern Ireland after the 1998 Agreement
Author(s) -
Laura Filardo-Llamas
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
peace and conflict studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.116
H-Index - 6
ISSN - 1082-7307
DOI - 10.46743/1082-7307/2008.1089
Subject(s) - ambiguity , politics , agreement , constructive , political science , epistemology , linguistics , sociology , social psychology , process (computing) , psychology , law , philosophy , computer science , operating system
This paper employs the hypothesis that one of the functions of political discourse is to legitimise a perceived point of view by promoting certain representations of a socio-political reality. It could be argued that the 1998 Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement creates a paradoxical reality in Northern Ireland because its language is so vague that it can be interpreted in different ways. This paper analyses linguistic categories used in the text of the Agreement to reveal the type of peaceful reality promoted and the constructive ambiguity used to facilitate agreement. It argues that the success of the peace process depended to a large extent on the particular nuances of discourse in and around this crucial document.