Slipperiness, Evasion, and Ambiguity

Equivocation and Facework in Noncommittal Political Discourse

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2350239
AutoresPeter Bull (0000-0003-4739-2892, University of York, autor de correspondencia)
Año2008
Volumen27
Número4
Páginas333-344
Fecha de publicación2008-12-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Language and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0261-927X • E-ISSN: 1552-6526
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0261927x08322475
OpenAlexW2126464295
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas48
Referencias citadas17

Noncommittal political discourse in televised political interviews is examined in the context of Bavelas, Black, Chovil, and Mullett's theory of equivocation. The two central propositions of this theory are shown to be well supported. Bull and others' reconceptualization of the theory in terms of face and face management is also discussed. It is argued that the latter is more parsimonious in its explanation of equivocal discourse in political interviews. Furthermore, it may be extended to those instances in which politicians do reply to questions, and to the assessment of the interview performance of both interviewers and politicians. In addition, it provides a useful conceptual framework for future research on nonequivocal political discourse. Overall, it is proposed that in the analysis of political discourse, the main propositions of equivocation theory can be subsumed within the wider conceptual framework of face and face management

Ambiguity · Conceptual framework · Epistemology · Equivocation · Linguistics · Political communication · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociology · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Law · Philosophy · Psychology · Rhetoric and Communication Studies · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology