Discursive Approaches to Politics in Malaysia: Legitimising Governance

This book explores Malaysian politics through a linguistic perspective, examining how language serves to (de)legitimise governance and its subsequent policies and activities. It analyzes discourses produced by and on Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan, and Perikatan Nasional from 2008 to 2020, revealing the language features and strategies that facilitate (de)legitimation. It is of interest to graduates and researchers in discourse studies, seeking to understand the discursive contours of politics in Malaysia.

Format: Hardback
Length: 268 pages
Publication date: 02 January 2023
Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore

This comprehensive open-access book delves into the realm of Malaysian politics, employing a linguistic lens to explore its intricate dynamics. It uncovers the profound ways in which language shapes the legitimacy of governance and subsequently influences the policies and actions implemented in Malaysia. Drawing upon discourse studies, this edited volume presents a rich collection of research that examines the discourses generated by and about Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan, and Perikatan Nasional from 2008 to 2020. Through a meticulous analysis of spoken, printed, and digital texts in English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil, the authors employ diverse theoretical and methodological approaches to unravel the intricate mechanisms through which political actors (de)legitimize their governance.

The thirteen original chapters showcase a diverse range of spoken, printed, and digital texts, employing a variety of theoretical and methodological frameworks. Through their linguistic analysis, the authors unveil the language features and strategies that facilitate (de)legitimation, shedding light on how political actors shape the discursive representation and evaluation of various concerns in Malaysia. Consequently, Discursive Approaches to Politics in Malaysia: Legitimizing Governance offers a profound understanding of contemporary Malaysian political discourse, enriching the knowledge of both graduates and researchers in the field of discourse studies. With its focus on this developing Asian country, this book serves as a valuable resource for those seeking to unravel the discursive contours of politics and gain insights into the complex dynamics shaping Malaysian society.

Weight: 594g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789811953330
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023