The language of incipient opposition : the discourse of the party of democratic socialism in German politics 1989-1995
This work explores how the PDS, as legal successor to the SED and thus to a party emanating from a Marxist tradition, has sought discursively to deal with the task of adapting to the demands of the all-German polity and of establishing a place for itself on the far left of the German political spectrum. Leaning heavily on the work of the critical linguists whose central interest was in exploring the relationship between language and ideology, this study starts from the premise that language and ideology inform one another dialectically: language is constitutive of ideology. As establishing and maintaining dominant ideologies and/or honing or adapting these in accordance with external exigencies is central to politics, the relationship between language and politics (and language and history) is likewise a dialectical one. A particular focus is upon the attempts of PDS party leaders and ideologues to establish a mediating, 'super-discourse' capable of smoothing over the high-level of intra-party factionalisation and of legitimising the PDS as broadly as possible in the political establishment. Opposition is a thematic leitmotiv: the PDS's historiographic portrayal of the SED's and its own relationship to opposition
Denison, Marc Reginald
Critical linguistics; Conflationary potential
The language of incipient opposition : the discourse of the party of democratic socialism in German politics 1989-1995. This work explores how the PDS, as legal successor to the SED and thus to a party emanating from a Marxist tradition, has sought discursively to deal with the task of adapting to the demands of the all-German polity and of establishing a place for itself on the far left of the German political spectrum. Leaning heavily on the work of the critical linguists whose central interest was in exploring the relationship between language and ideology, this study starts from the premise that language and ideology inform one another dialectically: language is constitutive of ideology. As establishing and maintaining dominant ideologies and/or honing or adapting these in accordance with external exigencies is central to politics, the relationship between language and politics (and language and history) is likewise a dialectical one. A particular focus is upon the attempts of PDS party leaders and ideologues to establish a mediating, 'super-discourse' capable of smoothing over the high-level of intra-party factionalisation and of legitimising the PDS as broadly as possible in the political establishment. Opposition is a thematic leitmotiv: the PDS's historiographic portrayal of the SED's and its own relationship to opposition
language incipient opposition discourse party democratic socialism german politics work explores legal successor sed thus party emanate marxist tradition seek discursively deal task adapt demand all german polity establish place far left german political_spectrum heavily work critical linguist whose central interest explore_relationship language_ideology study start_premise language_ideology inform one_another dialectically language constitutive ideology establish_maintain dominant_ideology and adapt accordance external exigency central politics relationship language politics language history likewise dialectical particular_focus upon attempt party_leader establish mediating super discourse capable smooth high_level intra party legitimise broadly possible political establishment opposition thematic historiographic portrayal sed relationship opposition