Discourse and identity formation : parliamentary debates in Bahrain

Print version:

Intro

Discourse and Identity Formation

Edittorial page

Title page

LCC data

Epigraph

Dedication page

Table of contents

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

List of tables

List of figures

Transliteration system

Chapter 1. Introduction

The parliamentary dynamics and the Bahraini Council of Representatives

Discourse in the Bahraini Council

Themes of the book

Chapterisation

Scope and methodology

Theoretical underpinnings

Disclaimer

Chapter 2. Religion, ideology and politics in Islamic society

Introduction

Ideological evolution in the Muslim world

Construction of politics in Islam

Islam and democracy

Chapter 3. Language variation across Bahrain

Language, religion and ideologies

The Bahraini community

Linguistic variations in Bahrain

Standard Arabic, dialects and accents

Bahrain dialect variations

Borrowed vocabulary in Bahrain dialects

Bahrain dialects and standard Arabic

Chapter 4. Theoretical underpinnings

Introduction

The concept of power

Power, ideology and language

Formation and evolution of identity

The role of discourse

Society and discourse: Critical discourse analysis as a methodological tool

CDS as a perspective

CDS and politics

Interdisciplinarity in CDS

Common dimensions of CDS approaches

Features of CDS

Sociocognitive Approach (SCA) as a methodological device

Social cognition

Context in SCA

Criticisms of CDS

SCA and theories of deliberative democracy

Discursive categories in Bahrain parliamentary debates

Key aspects of the analytical framework

Focusing upon a social problem that has a semiotic aspect

Identifying obstacles to the social problem being tackled

Deciding if the social order "needs" this problem

Identifying possible ways past the obstacles. Reflecting on the analysis

Chapter 5. Ideology, identity and discourse: Evidence from parliamentary debates during 2008-2010

Introduction

Structure of the Bahraini parliament

Discourse in the Bahraini parliament: An overview

Three discursive strategies

Corroborating by information

Intensifying grievance

Centralising pride and dignity

Discursive devices

Emotions in discourse

Taking emotions unemotionally

Variables affecting emotions

Emotions and language

Arabic language rhetoric

Style

Speech acts

Ideology, identity and discourse: Evidence from Bahrain parliamentary debates

1. The use of teargas: From sitting 2:2:16, 12 Feb. 2008

A reproach: A backgrounded disagreement

A combination of grievance and information

Bahrain's international image as a perspective

Disappointment

2. The debate on Bahraini detainees abroad: From sitting 2:2:25 a, 22 April 2008

3. Insulting the government: From sitting 2:2:25 b, 22 April 2008

4. Condemning a "Terrorist" Plot: From sitting 2:3:10, 30 Dec. 2008

Beyond the text: on the background to the conflict

Analysis of the excerpt

a. In-groupness and out-groupness

5. The arrest of political activists: From sitting 2:3:13, 27 Jan. 2009

6. Big and small thieves: From sitting 2:3:23, 7 April 2009

Political wit

Background to excerpt

7. Eavesdropping: From sitting 2:4:3, 20 Oct. 2009

8. The arrest of A. Hassan (a): From sitting 2:4:10, 22 Dec. 2009

9. The arrest of A. Hassan (b): From sitting 2:4:11, 29 Dec. 2009

10. Censoring a speech: From sitting 2:4:24, 30 Mar. 2010

11. Activating a punishment decision: From sitting 2:4:28, 27 April 2010

Chapter 6. Discursive approaches and political ideology in Bahrain

Discursive devices and strategies in parliamentary discourse: A Synthesis. Employment of discursive strategies

Employment of discursive devices

Strategies and devices among political parties

Manifesting power

1. Protesting against the establishment

2. Confrontation of opposing perspectives

3. Striving for legal reform

Marking identities

The ideology of protest

A step towards overt criticism

Deliberative democracy and political stability

Chapter 7. Bahrain's ongoing quest for deliberative democracy

The third and fourth legislative period 2010-2014

Public discourse and the unrest of 2011

A sum up

Role of parliament in society

Political discourse in the Council of Representatives

Employment of discursive devices

Employment of discursive strategies

The emancipatory potentials of discourse

Bibliography

Appendix A. Collecting and presenting data

The criteria for choosing data

A. Hansard

Suitability of Hansard

B. Translation and transliteration

C. Using newspapers

Appendix B. Agenda topics matched to items in Hansard

Appendix C. The excerpts

1. Teargas: From Sitting 2:2:16, 12th Feb. 2008, pp. 62-73

2. Bahraini detainees abroad: From Sitting 2:2:25 a, 22nd April 2008, pp. 19-20

3. Insulting the government: From Sitting 2:2:25 b, 22nd April 2008, pp. 43-44

4. Condemning a "terrorist" plot: From Sitting 2:3:10, 30th Dec. 2008, pp. 95-99

5. The arrest of political activists: From Sitting 2:3:13, 27th Jan. 2009, pp. 4-6

6. Big and small thieves: From Sitting 2:3:23, 7th April 2009, pp. 103-104

7. Eavesdropping: From Sitting 2:4:3, 20th Oct. 2009, p. 15

8. The arrest of Abdali Hassan (a): From Sitting 2:4:10, 22nd Dec. 2009, pp. 6-7

9. The arrest of Abdali Hassan (b): From Sitting 2:4:11, 29th Dec. 2009, p. 6

10. Censoring a speech: From Sitting 10, 30th March 2010, pp. 78-79. 11. Activating a Punishment Decision: From Sitting 2:4:28, 27th April 2010, p. 43

Appendix D. Offences affecting external state security

Glossary

Index