PROPAGANDA IN POLITICS: THE USE OF LANGUAGE FOR EFFECT IN ELECTIONEERING CAMPAIGN
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PROPAGANDA IN POLITICS: THE USE OF LANGUAGE FOR EFFECT IN ELECTIONEERING CAMPAIGN
CHAPITRE ONE
INTRODUCTION
Propaganda is a unique political tool. This is most noticeable during an election campaign. Longe and Ofuanu (1996:17) contend that propaganda is only used to harm character.
“Propaganda refers to information and doctrines.”
As in political propaganda films and plays, opinions, etc., are frequently disparaging.
These are considered disparaging because they tend to harm or detract from something or someone. Propaganda’s entire objective is to misinform, mislead, and purposefully indoctrinate.”
The employment of propaganda frequently portrays the propagandist (the person speaking) as a saint and the person targeted as the demon who is unfit to lead.
The goal of this study is to demonstrate how language plays an important part in political propaganda as it relates to electioneering campaigns.
This paper will concentrate on Nigeria’s general election campaign in 2007. Linguistic devices used by propagandists to achieve their goals in the previously described electioneering effort will be highlighted.
1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Previous studies have examined the function of language in convincing and educating the electorate during electioneering campaigns.This is also referred to as rhetoric.
The researcher observed that much has not been done on the effects of language on the contestants and the electorate with regard to campaign of calumny (propaganda) is yet to be fully studied.
With this in mind, this study will show that language has a significant impact on both the electorate and the contestants as observed during the last general election in Nigeria in 2007.
1.3. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
Propaganda is a crucial tool in choosing votes wherever politics evolves. Language is required for propagandistic purposes. This essay aims to demonstrate, via vivid analysis,
how propaganda in politics uses language to determine where the podium of influence should swing. This work will also demonstrate the forms and characteristics of propaganda as they relate to language use.
DATA COLLECTION
Data for this project was gathered from both primary and secondary sources. The internet was also used to find information about the issue under study.
In terms of original sources, we have several literature on language and politics that we believe will be quite useful in making this endeavour a success. Secondary sources provide information on political speeches during Nigeria’s general election in 2007.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This project will focus on language use and speech act. The study will focus on language use from the perspective of communication and the effect it intends to have on the hearer, employing features such as word coinage, vagueness, repetition, abusive expression, attack on party name and slogan, and so on, as persuasive styles used by politicians in political campaigns as evidenced by data collected.
1.5 RESEARCH LIMITATIONS
The most significant drawback in this study is financial. The funding required to conduct a conventional research project is not always straightforward for any student or researcher.
It takes a lot of money to find credible information and data about the employment of propaganda. Time was also a major constraint because the researcher was forced to work within a certain time frame, which influenced the task.
THEORY OF FRAMEWORK
The analytical framework (i.e. theoretical) on which the study is built is provided by the speech act theory established by British language philosopher J. L Austin (1962).The theory investigates the role of utterances in connection to the speaker’s and hearer’s behaviour or attitude in interpersonal communication.
It is communication capacity described in terms of the speaker’s aim when speaking and the effect of his speech on the listener. Depending on the individual speaking environment, each utterance has its own communication purpose.
According to Traugott and Pratt (480:226), language use is regulated by a wide range of contextual elements, including social and physical situations, participants’ identities, attitudes, abilities, and beliefs, and relations held between participants.
Austin’s approach begins with an examination of the various things people have done with words throughout history. Language philosophers have been impressed with language that has been used to represent how the world is, to say what is or is not the case, and the concept of truth has been central to the philosophy of language.
He emphasises the numerous other things humans do with words; they ask questions, give commands, make suggestions, give advise, tell jokes, make promises, and even insult, convince, and frighten. This prompted Austin to create three unique types of speech acts:
First and foremost, words have a particular customary meaning. The phrase “The cat sat on the mat” relates to a cat, a mat, and their relationship, with one sitting on top of the other. This common sense of meaning is the “what is said” of any given speech act.
Second, it is said that by pronouncing particular words, one actually commits an act. For instance, when saying “I do” at a wedding, one makes a pledge by asking, “Will you?” One asks a question, and by stating “you will,” one commands.
Act of Perlocution. Finally, he emphasises that “by saying something, one performs an action by saying I do.” By saying something like “I will give you a better deal than the competitor,” one may persuade a buyer, and so on.
Linking the three speeches – Act
However, these various functions of the word are not mutually incompatible. Austin understands that many statements can involve all three types of activities. Saying ‘it’s hot’ is an illocutionary act that describes how one feels.
It could also be interpreted as an illocutionary act in the context of a room with a close window – a request to open the window eventually, as the hearer responds by opening the window, the single utterance has also performed a perlocutionary act.
The essence of speech act theory is that utterances are acts capable of having massive and far-reaching results or repercussions in and of themselves. Utterances can have a huge impact on our life; they can prevent us from carrying out a command, they can transform an already existing situation, and so on.
The work propaganda in politics: the use of language for impact in electioneering campaign will be based on how politicians employ language of calumny to influence the state of mind of the hearer and to ruin the image of their opponent. This is accomplished through the use of campaign speeches; these campaign speeches will serve as the data for this endeavour.
This is the analytical framework that this study is based on.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Because the study covers disciplines other than linguistics, terminology that will be used frequently in this work, such as:
1.6.1 Linguistics
Language is any system structure of sign and meaning used for experiential communication. MKC Uwajeh, MKC Uwajeh, MKC Uwajeh,
1.6.2 Government and Politics
Politics has no uniform definition; rather, it has been described by several scholars from their own perspectives.
Politics, according to F.A.C Aramere (2003:3), is “the struggle for political power and the use of that power to acquire other values.” As a result, power is the major emphasis of politics.
1.6.3 Candidature
This is the act of electing a representative or the holder of a specific position, typically via vote. The term “electorate” refers to the entire group of people in a country or region who have the right to vote.
Electioneering is the adjective for the noun election. It refers to the activities of making speeches and visiting individuals in an attempt to encourage them to vote for a specific politician or political party.
People who have the right to vote in a country or a country or an area
1.6.4 Publicity
According to Oyeneye (1997:41), “propaganda seeks to present part of the facts, distort their relationships, and force conclusions that could not be drawn from a complete and candid survey of all the facts.”
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