Facts as Social Action in Political Debates about the European Union

Dados Bibliográficos

ID7971907
AutoresMirko A Demasi (0000-0003-1112-8141, York St John University, autor correspondente)
Ano2019
Volume40
Fascículo1
Páginas3-20
Data de publicação2019-02-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoPolitical Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0162-895X • E-ISSN: 1467-9221
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/pops.12496
OpenAlexW2809408123
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas14
Referências citadas28

This article focuses on the argumentative role of making factual claims and counterclaims in broadcast political debates. Despite the rise of “post‐truth politics,” this article argues that orientations to issues of “fact” and “truth” are a live and controversial matter when debating the European Union. Using Discursive Psychology (DP), the analysis is on how politicians use fact‐based (counter)claims in multiparty interactions, in the form of debates about the United Kingdom and the European Union. Three types of factual challenges are presented to illustrate the rhetorical function of claims: challenging the essence of an argument, providing another fact to recontextualize the preceding fact and using hypothetical scenarios to undermine facts. The analysis demonstrates that the use of facts is a highly strategic, argumentative, matter. This study, understood against a backdrop of the rise of post‐truth politics, highlights that concepts of “fact” and “truth” are not done away with; rather they are an argumentative resource and need to be understood in their fragmentary and rhetorical context

Action (physics · Argument (complex analysis · Argumentative · Context (archaeology · Economics · Epistemology · European union · Law and economics · Linguistics · Political science · Politics · Rhetorical question · Sociology · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · European Union Policy and Governance · History · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Law · Philosophy