A4 Refereed article in a conference publication

Missionaries of Peace - The Creation of the Italian Identity in the Representation of the Political Discussion in Favour of Italy's Participation in the Iraq War in Il Corriere della Sera




AuthorsHarmanmaa, Marja

EditorsOttis, R.

Conference nameThe 10th European Conference on Information Warfare and Security

Publication year2011

Book title 10th European Conference on Information Warfare and Security 2011 (ECIW 2011)

Journal name in sourcePROCEEDINGS OF THE 10TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON INFORMATION WARFARE AND SECURITY

First page 122

Last page126

Number of pages5

ISBN9781622765362


Abstract
Linguistics is not a traditional method used in the security studies. However, today's world, and the information society are ever more based on texts and images. Also, both the sense of security and a threat are produced with language at the first place. For this reason, the study of a discourse used in a conflict is of vital importance. The present paper will deal with the political debate in favour of Italy's participation in the Iraq war in the spring of 2003, as it is represented in one of Italy's most important newspapers, Il Corriere della Sera. In using the term 'representation' I mean the interpretation of a given phenomenon with language. According to the method of critical linguistics elaborated by Roger Fowler, Robert Hodge and Gunther Kress, and based on the functional grammar of M. A. K. Halliday, I shall analyse the vocabulary and naming of different elements related to warfare, and transitivity; I will examine the choice of agents and affected participants and types of predicates to which they are related, as well as the argumentation strategies. In conclusion, I shall show how the representation of the Iraq war contributes to the creation of and/or emphasis on a specific national Italian identity.

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