Adversarial Discourse in Prime Minister's Questions

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2350366
AutoresPeter Bull (0000-0003-4739-2892, University of York, York, UK), Pam Wells (0000-0001-7535-0804, University of York, York, UK)
Ano2012
Volume31
Fascículo1
Páginas30-48
Data de publicação2012-03-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Language and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0261-927X • E-ISSN: 1552-6526
EditoraSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0261927x11425034
OpenAlexW2170244565
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas34
Referências citadas13

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) are a weekly 30-minute parliamentary session, in which the prime minister (PM) responds to questions from both government and opposition members of parliament (MPs). In this study, 18 PMQs (April-November, 2007) were analysed, 9 with Labour PM Tony Blair, 9 with his successor Gordon Brown; in all 18 sessions, their opponent was Conservative Party leader David Cameron. In PMQs, MPs are expected to converse through questions and replies, while refraining from "unparliamentary language" (e.g., direct insults to another MP). However, within these constraints, PMQs are notorious for adversarial discourse, analysed in this study through the concept of face-threatening acts (FTAs). Six distinctive ways in which FTAs are performed by the leader of the opposition in questions and five distinctive ways in which the PM may counter FTAs in replies were identified. Overall, it is proposed that face aggravation in PMQs is not just an acceptable form of parliamentary discourse, it is both sanctioned and rewarded, a means whereby MPs may enhance their own status through aggressive facework

Adversarial system · Adversary · Converse · Epistemology · Face negotiation theory · Media studies · Parliament · Political science · Politics · Prime minister · Sociology · Successor cardinal · Computer Science · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Law · Philosophy · Swearing, Euphemism, Multilingualism