War, Peace, and Populist Discourse in Ukraine

Populism's tendency to simplify complex social issues in terms of good versus evil presents a barrier to understanding and promoting global peace. This book explores the civilizational discourse of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and incorporates alternative perspectives from excluded voices to deconstruct this discourse. It emphasizes the importance of incorporating alternative perspectives in understanding international conflicts, such as the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Format: Hardback
Length: 116 pages
Publication date: 21 June 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book delves into the detrimental impact of populism on global peace, particularly its tendency to oversimplify complex social issues into binary narratives of good versus evil. By examining the civilizational discourse of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has divided the world into civilized "us" and barbarian "them" in his conflict with Russia, the book argues that such a one-dimensional portrayal of complex social reality hinders understanding and has limited potential to foster peace.

To challenge this discourse, the book incorporates alternative perspectives from oppositional voices, specifically examining the writing of popular Ukrainian journalists and bloggers who have been excluded from political representation in Ukraine due to the country's current ban on all oppositional media. Drawing on the discourse theory of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, the author argues that the inclusion of alternative viewpoints and silenced voices is crucial for comprehending the intricacies of international conflicts, including the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

This timely and significant study will be of interest to students and scholars in media and communication studies, populist rhetoric, political communication, journalism, area studies, international relations, linguistics, discourse analysis, propaganda, and peace studies. By exploring the complexities of social reality and challenging one-dimensional narratives, this book contributes to our understanding of the challenges to global peace and the importance of inclusive and nuanced approaches to conflict resolution.

Weight: 266g
Dimension: 144 x 223 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032455358