CH 7-COMSCI-Political Persuasion

OBJ 1: Explain McNair’s definition of political communication.

Political communication incorporates:

  • All forms of comm undertaken by politicians and other political actors for the purpose of achieving specific objectives
  • Comm addressed to these actors by non-politicians such as voters & newspaper columnists
  • Comm about these actors and their activities, as contained in news reports, editorials and other forms of media discussion of politics

3 role-players:


  1. Political organisations e.g. parties/ pressure groups/ governments. They send appeals, programmes, advertising & public relations.
  2. The Media do reports, editorials, commentary and analysis about the political organisation to the citizens.
  3. Citizens - give media opinion polls and letters.

OBJ 2: Define the different kinds of audiences, and discuss the guidelines that can be used by speakers in order to persuade them.

Guidelines to motivate a hostile audience:

  1. Introduce humour
  2. Emphasise common ground
  3. Express understanding and respect for the audience’s position
  4. Acknowledge past mistakes
  5. Reassure the audience

Language and politics

A means of translating observations and ideas into verbal and nonverbal symbols and of transmitting those observations and ideas to recipients who may be persuaded by them, if they are familiar with the symbol codes employed for the message.


-Messages designed for persuasion in political speeches, assembly debates, election campaigns, and so on, make use of emotional arguments and language that arouse and satisfy appetites by means of their forms as well as substance


  • Facts and ideas cannot be powerful until they become known


  • Without language, facts and ideas are mute, unable to generate thought and com meanings


  • Persuader has to consider the mood of a particular audience

Guidelines how to motivate an apathetic audience with no interest in speaker:

  1. Establish common ground
  2. Adopt a new approach
  3. Show how audience members are affected
  4. Share a startling statistic
  5. Invite audience participation

Guidelines of how to motivate motivated audience with positive attitudes towards speaker and topic:

  1. Reinforce similarities with the audience
  2. Convey respect for the audience
  3. Use vivid description and imagery
  4. Use extended narratives
  5. Attend to the rhythm of the speech

OBJ 3: Discuss the factors that influence language styles of political persuasion in different settings.

Language styles will vary depending on…

  • Degree of openness and visibility of the event
  • Number of speakers who are interacting
  • Primary purpose of the event

OBJ 4: Contrast the communication in an oratory setting with the communication during a media conference, and an assembly debate.

  1. THE ORATORY SETTING
  • Involves a communicator generally seeking to persuade the audience with a formal speech at a public and visible event.
  • A solo performance - not interactive one. Comm can develop lines of reasoning & present them as planned - without concern about instant , point by point rebuttal (denial, contradiction).
  • Consequential feature of this setting is- the ability of communicator/ politician to control the speech situation almost completely.
  • Political language is often hortatory (Marked by exhortation or strong urging; encouraging) generally reassuring; it creates the impression that large and important issues are being discussed and that the public has a chance to participate in the decision-making process- OBJ 5

OBJ 5: Administrative or bureaucratic language
Designed to regulate and command, definitions and circumlocutions (roundabout)


1. Statemens’ oratory
Appeal to reasoned argument, underemphasising appeals to emotions such as love or pride, fear or prejudice. Moderate language, value judgments are submitted on a an intellectual plane (F.W. de Klerk)
OBJ 6 -2. Charismatic Oratory
Deeply held emotions and ideals shared by large numbers of people. Nelson Mandela, Helen Zille, can articulate these emotions and ideals


3. Demagogic oratory
Also appeals to emotions, but on a base level. Deceptive or irresponsible promises are often made. Julius Malema, may stir prejudice, hatred and bigotry




OBJ 7: 2. SMALL-GROUP BARGAINING SETTING


  • Important since most political decisions are made by small groups operating in committees, subcommittees and ad hoc committees.
  • Primary purpose of bargaining language here- to reach agreement on the political issues involved. 'deal, not an appeal' + found outside the glare of immediate publicity.
  • These politicians concentrate on reaching a compromise based on consensus. Their language is mostly cautious and compromising. Fewer deceptions and threats than in oratory settings & motives of opponents are less likely to be called into action.
  • Not concerned about images, nor about the effects of their words on outside audiences

The choice of persuasive techniques and tactics to employ depends on:

  1. Degree of incompatibility between 2/more politicians' objectives and interests
  2. Extent to which politicians are committed to those interests
  3. Degree to which the politicians want to reach agreement.

If they are fundamentally incompatible -

OBJ 8: Two stages involved in reaching agreement in such conditions
STAGE 1 = One party must persuade the other to want an agreement of some sort or consequences of non-agreement are more unfavourable to him or her than the consequences of agreement


STAGE 2= Agreement has been reached, then the two parties must still bargain over the specific terms of the final agreement

Other persuasive techniques used by politicians to induce agreement include🚩

  • Exploiting the impatience of opponents, lengthy bargaining, haggling over minor details, introducing new and unexpected topics
  • Offering large concessions at first on the assumption that if you show your goodwill, the other side will feel compelled to reciprocate but making it clear that you will increase the terms later on if the opponents do not accept what is offered now


  1. THE ASSEMBLY-DEBATE SETTING

  • Takes place before a large, live audience and often before numerous mass media representatives – as in the oratory setting


  • Formal debates and discussions in assemblies are interactive - as in the small-group bargaining setting


  • Purpose - produce agreements on laws, regulations and resolutions


  • Shape and reveal divisions among political elites


  • Constraints on language use. There is a need to maintain an atmosphere of civility conducive to continuous working relationships


  • When highly emotional language is used, it is often interpreted as a sign that the speaker is unwilling to reach a compromise about the issues in question


  • The interactive nature of debates can limit speakers’ topic choices, in so far as their preferred topic and line of argument may have been pre-empted by other speakers


OBJ 9: Critically discuss the functions and manifestations of directed political language, especially in regard to South African politics over the last 20 years.


  • Language (speech) has function of indicating to members of a group what is harmful or useful
  • Indicating what is good and evil or just and unjust
  • The producing and sharing of a common view regarding these concepts is an intrinsic part of constituting a social or political group

Directed com (as a form of distorted com) is defined as restricted com that by its nature inhibits a full discussion of problems, issues and ideas that have public relevance, and result from the governmental policy to structure language and com

OBJ 10: The role of ideology in structuring and directing political language. An ideology is the following…

Secular belief
= A belief seems natural to the believer and is not questioned
Group phenomenon
= Ideology can act as the cement keeping the group together
Perceptions of reality
= Broad principles by which group members interpret reality
Organising
= An instrument whereby life itself is rendered intelligible for group members


Nowadays: political language functions to, for example, disseminate info, set agendas and frames; interpret and relate events. Legitimise and delegitimise actions; stimulate action


Political parties and government agencies employ publicists of various kinds


Directed com, for its part, is often highly symbolic, ideological and politically manipulative


Directed com is predetermined and is aimed at adjusting ideas to people, and people to ideas – in other words, it has a persuasive intent



KEY WORDS & PHRASES
NP government: From apartheid & afrikaner nationalism to nonracial South Africanism

  • Apartheid
  • Homelands
  • Immorality
  • Group areas

During Transitional period

  • Nonracialism
  • One undivided state
  • Common values and principles are the political dividing line
  • Protection of minority rights

ANC Government: From nonracial democratic society to African nationalism to (black) Africanism

  • Ubuntu
  • Nation-building
  • A better life for all
  • Social cohesion
  • Affirmative action

DIRECTED POLITICAL LANGUAGE ATTEMPTS TO SUGGEST 'PICTURES IN OUR HEADS':

  • Beliefs about past and present
  • What specific policy changes will mean for various social groups in future.
  • Beliefs about which interest groups and public officials should be regarded as allies and which as threats or enemies.