Oppositions and Ideology in News Discourse

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Description

Constructed opposition has proved as viable an area of research as traditional antonymy, and a useful tool in looking at ideologically orientated texts. This book investigates how binary oppositions are constructed discursively and the potential ideological repercussions of their usage in news reports in the British press. The focus is particularly on the positive presentation of groups and individuals subsumed under the first person plural pronouns 'us' and 'we', and the simultaneous marginalization of groups designated as 'they' or 'them'. Exploring the dynamic relations between the linguistic system and language in context this is a key publication for those involved in discourse analysis and stylistics.

Reviews

Matt Davies' book is an excellent contribution towards research on the function and structure of constructed oppositions in ideological texts. Davies' framework adeptly shows how constructed opposites can be identified and classified, using case studies to demonstrate that oppositions are often used in complex and subtle ways that may not be detected by readers. -- Dr Paul Baker, Lancaster University, UK

Author Bio

Matt Davies is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chester, UK.