Open AccessIdeologically-based Polarisation and Racism in Discourse
Author(s) -
Dalia M. Hamed
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of law and social sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2226-6402
DOI - 10.53974/unza.jlss.4.1.382
Subject(s) - ideology , racism , sociology , critical discourse analysis , politics , discourse analysis , polarization (electrochemistry) , meaning (existential) , epistemology , gender studies , political science , linguistics , law , philosophy , chemistry
“The privileged” against “the others”, “Us” against “Them”, “the Top” against “the Bottom” and “the
Citizen” against “the Refugee/Immigrant”- are all ideologically-based discourses that classify human
beings. The present study, being discourse analytical, aims to shed light on some discourses of polarization
that are ideologically based and detect examples of such discourses in various fields as politics, science,
sport and education. Methodological framework is based on Van Dijk’s models of ideological discourse
analysis (2006a, 2006b &2007). Accordingly, a critical analysis of these discourses is applied in order to
decode the meaning that lies deep within them, a meaning that reveals the deeply-rooted ideology that
makes some believe that they deserve to be “the privileged” while other people are “the others” that are not
privileged. Van Dijk’s model of ingroup-outgroup polarization (Emphasizing Our good things and Their bad
things; Mitigating Our bad things and their good things) stands as a comprehensive/abstract standard that is
to be detected in the data of this study. The paper concludes that the critical analysis of discourse has shown
polarization/racism to be widespread in different fields of life. It calls for making changes in the way people
think and conceive of “the others”- a first step towards a better socio-political atmosphere.