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Article published In: Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 34:2 (2021) ► pp.527–554

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Form-function dialectics in the analysis of irony in political discourse

ORCiD logo with link | University of A Coruña
Published online: 15 December 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.19015.mor
Abstract
In this paper, I analyze the construction of the trope of irony in a political interview, more specifically the interview with a Spanish politician on television in 2013. Its context is the emergence of the 15M, a citizen’s protest movement against the cuts imposed by the European Union and the Spanish Government. From a theoretical-methodological point of view, I adopt a holistic perspective, inspired by Halliday’s approach of jointly analysing the form-function relationship and White’s constructivism. I also review the different definitions and explanations of irony. After analysing the formal resources that construct irony, I give an account of the cognitive frameworks that are opposed in this discourse, and finally describe their narrative disposition and the communicative functions that those resources fulfill.
Resumen
La dialéctica forma-función en el análisis de la ironía en un discurso político
En este trabajo analizamos la construcción de la ironía en una entrevista política, en concreto la realizada en televisión a un politico español, en 2013; un discurso que se enmarca en el contexto de la irrupción en España del 15M, un movimiento ciudadano de protesta contra los recortes impuestos desde la Unión Europea. Desde el punto de vista teórico-metodológico, adoptamos una perspectiva holística: nos inspiramos en la propuesta de Michael Halliday de analizar conjuntamente la relación forma-función y en el constructivismo de Hayden White. Desde estas propuestas, hacemos también un repaso de las diferentes definiciones y explicaciones de la ironía. Tras el análisis de los recursos formales que construyen la ironía, damos cuenta de los marcos cognitivos que se contraponen en dicho discurso, para finalmente describir su disposición narrativa y las funciones comunicativas que cumplen tales recursos.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Definition of irony
  • 3.Methodology and analysis of data
    • 3.1Analysis of the interview with Miguel Ángel Revilla
    • 3.2Form-function dialectics in the expression of irony
  • 4.Interpretation and final conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
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