Lexicalisation and Discursive Expression of Power in Olusegun Obasanjo’s Speeches

Josephine Funke Oni*
* English Unit, National Open University of Nigeria, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Periodicity:April - June'2013
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.3.2.2294

Abstract

Although language is not power, it encodes power. This is the case with some speeches of former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo. This paper attempts to unravel the hidden ideological expression of power using critical discourse analysis (CDA) and systemic functional linguistics. Precisely, the paper draws on Fairclough(2001) members resources and Halliday (1970) system of mood and modality as theoretical basis. The data comprise Obasanjo addresses to public servants and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in 1978 and 2000 respectively. These are representative of the two political dispensations under which Obasanjo served. The findings show that Obasanjo deploys language as a strategy of suppression by exploiting lexical items with negative expressive values to stifle oppositions as well as make them unpopular. Also, the use of power as strategy of domination is mainly achieved through imperatives which allow the speaker to impose his opinion on others. In addition, declaratives are used to neutralise the asymmetrical power relation that exists between Obasanjo and the Nigerian Labour Congress. Obasanjo militaristic trait of suppression and domination lends credence to his raw manifestation of power

Keywords

power, members’ resources, mood, modality, ideological expression.

How to Cite this Article?

Oni, J. F. (2013). Lexicalisation And Discursive Expression Of Power In Olusegun Obasanjo's Speeches. i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 3(2), 9-16. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.3.2.2294

References

[1]. Aluede, O., Jimoh, B., Agwinede, B.O. and Omoregie, E.O. (2005). Student unrest in Nigerian universities: looking back and forward. Kamla-Raj: J. Soc. Sci.10.1:17-22.
[2]. Bloomer, A., Griffiths, P., and Morrison, A. J. (2005). Introducing language in use: a course book. London: Routledge.
[3]. Brockeriede, W.E. (1971). Dimension of the concept of rhetoric. Contemporary theories of rhetoric: selected readings. R.L. Johannesen. Ed. New York: Harper and Row. 311-326.
[4]. Butler, C.S. (1985). Systemic linguistics: theory and applications, London: Batsford Academic and Educational.
[5]. Fairclough, N. (1992). Discourse and social change. Cambridge: Polity Press.
[6]. Fairclough, N. (1995). Critical discourse analysis: the critical study of language. London: Longman.
[7]. Fairclough, N. (2001). Language and power. London: Pearson Education Ltd.
[8]. Habermas. (1977). Erkenntnis und Interesse. Suhrkamp.
[9]. Halliday, M.A.K. (1970). Functional diversity in language as seen from a consideration of modality and mood in English. Foundations of language 6.3:322-361.
[10]. Haliday M.A.K. (1978). Language as social semiotic, London: Edward Arnold.
[11]. Halliday, M.A.K. and Hasan, R. (1976). Cohesion in English. London: Longman.
[12]. Halliday, M.A.K. (1985). An introduction to functional Grammar. London: Edward Arnold.
[13]. Haratyan, F. (2011). Halliday's SFL and Social Meaning. 2nd International Conference on Humanities, Historical and Social Sciences, IPEDR 17.
[14]. Labourdette, S. (2007). Social relations and power. Orientaciony Sociedad, 7:1-20.
[15]. Muir, J. (1972). A modern approach to English grammar: an Introduction to systemic grammar. London: Batsford.
[16]. Obasanjo, O. (1978). An address to public servants. Towards civil rule. FGP 1468/978/10,000.
[17]. Oha, O.(1994). Language in war situation: a stylistic study of the war speeches of Yakubu Gowon and Emeka Ojukwu. Ph.D. Thesis. Dept. of English. University of Ibadan. xxxiv + 341pp.
[18]. Ribeiro, B.T. (1996). Conflict talk in a psychiatric interview: struggling between personal and official footings. Texts and practices – readings in critical discourse analysis. Caldas-Coulthard, C.R. and Coulthard, M. Eds. London: Routledge. 179-193.
[19]. The Comet, Wednesday, May 3, 2000.
[20]. Thomas, L. And Wareing, S. (1999). Language, society and power: an introduction. London: Routledge.
[21]. van Dijk, T.A. (1993). Principles of critical discourse analysis. Discourse & Society, 4.2: 249-283.
[22]. van Dijk (1996). Discourse, power and access. Texts and practices: readings in critical discourse analysis. C.R. Caldas-Coulthard, and M. Coulthard. Eds. Londan Routledge. 84-104.
[23]. Ventola, E. (1988). Text analysis in operation: a multilevel approach. New developments in systemic linguistics, Vol. 2: theory and application. R.P. Fawcett and D. Young. Eds. London: Pinter Publishers. 52-77.
[24]. Wodak, R., de Cillia, R., Reisigl, M., and Liebhart, K. (1999). The discursive construction of national identity. Edinburgh: University Press.
If you have access to this article please login to view the article or kindly login to purchase the article

Purchase Instant Access

Single Article

North Americas,UK,
Middle East,Europe
India Rest of world
USD EUR INR USD-ROW
Pdf 35 35 200 20
Online 35 35 200 15
Pdf & Online 35 35 400 25

Options for accessing this content:
  • If you would like institutional access to this content, please recommend the title to your librarian.
    Library Recommendation Form
  • If you already have i-manager's user account: Login above and proceed to purchase the article.
  • New Users: Please register, then proceed to purchase the article.