In lack of 'Will'? Strategic 'Future-ness' and Barack Obama's experiment

From intention negotiation to will creation and political action in Barack Obama's e-mail campaigning

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4356445
AutoresFederica Ferrari (0000-0001-7971-4716, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, autor de correspondencia)
Año2018
Volumen27
Número2
Páginas195-222
Fecha de publicación2018-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaTime & Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0961-463X • E-ISSN: 1461-7463
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0961463x15596702
OpenAlexW2549476082
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas22

Time is conventionally conceptualized in terms of space, also affecting the articulation of identity. The relation between time, space and identity will be discussed through theoretically questioning the formal expression of future time, and particularly "will" future, in English to observe its potential cognitive and pragmatic implications - i.e. how 'future-ness' can become "strategic" - on identity construction - cf. "progressive identity" - and persuasion. Barack Obama's e-mail campaigning (2008-2010) is used as a case in point. More specifically, the articulation of 'future-ness' emerging here suggests interesting consequences on national and political identity construction and consent creation. If the consistent use of new information and communication technologies has been crucial in determining Barack Obama's communicative fortune, his rhetorical style (inclusive rhetoric, progressive logic, conceptual reframing) has also been undoubtedly significant in the construction of his audience consent, at least in the first part of his Presidency. But the question is, how this progressive logic comes to be specifically constructed and articulated along with the audience involvement? The present article focuses on some persuasive instances observable in Barack Obama's e-mail campaigning (2008-2010) to reason on the discoursal move the President suggests from intention negotiation to will creation and political action. More specifically, it will investigate the discoursal construction of 'progressive identity', ideological change and involvement creation before and after the elections. Additionally, the strategic use of the shifting from public/institutional to private sphere will also be taken into account as a specific medium-driven characteristic. In this respect, particularly significant has come out to be the articulation of 'future-ness' as identity projection, which is in turn continuously negotiated amongst the subjects of the discourse

Action (physics · Aesthetics · Cognitive reframing · Identity (music · Linguistics · Media studies · Negotiation · Persuasion · Political science · Politics · Presidency · Public relations · Rhetoric · Rhetorical question · Sociology · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Law · Psychology · Rhetoric and Communication Studies · Social Psychology