A Critical Discourse Analysis of Malaysian prime minister's speech in Copenhagen

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Roozbeh Kardooni, PhD Candidate in Environment science , University Malaya

Sumiani YusoffAssociate Professor, Department of Engineering, University Malaya

A Critical Discourse Analysis of Malaysian PM’s speech in Copenhagen

University of Malaya Conference on Discourse and Society (UMDS 2012)

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About Climate change

Climate change and Malaysia

Research Aim

Importance of research

Discourse

Discourse Analysis

Critical Discourse

Analysis (CDA)

Analytical tool

Social Practice

genre

style

Assumptions

Ideology

modality

Speech act

Citizen-centered attitude

Assumption

Speech acts

Ideological view

Chain of events

Style

Genre

Key words Analysis

Modality

Introduction Literature review Conceptual basic Textual Analysis

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Research Aim


Introduction

Climate change is important area for sustainable development and also is one of the most considerate environmental threats of this century.

• The impact of Climate changes if felt everywhere such as agricultural, Costal resources, energy, forestry, tourism and water.

Climate change will not affect the global economy only, but will simply reduce the welfare and quality of life.

Although the impact of climate change will threaten the bases of many of the countries worldwide, most vulnerable are the developing countries especially those are mainly depended upon the agriculture and forestry sector like Malaysia.

Note

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Research Aim


Introduction

• Malaysia ranked 52 in the 2009 Climate Change

Performance Index (Malaysian ranks in 2012 is 49). Increase in average temperatures as a result of global

warming is of concern for Malaysia

The CO2 emissions (kt) in Malaysia

CO2 emissions in

the ASEAN countries,

1971-2005

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001

CO2 emissions, 1971 = 1

Brunei

Indonesia

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

China

India

Japan

USA

OECD Europe

Figure 1. CO2 emissions from fuel combustion in the ASEAN countries and in some reference countries 1971-2005, 1971=1. Source: IEA 2007a.

CO2 emissions in the ASEAN countries, 1971-2005

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Research Aim


Introduction • This paper aim to analysis environmental

speech given by Malaysian PM (Najib Tun Razak) during the U.N. CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE 2009 in Copenhagen(cop15).

• Following the objective of this paper, by applying critical discourse analysis the language Najib used in this speech is critically analyzed, described and interpreted in the context of his attempt to give a proposal for addressing climate change issues especially in Malaysia.

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Research Aim


Introduction

Understanding Malaysian approach about climate change

Get familiar with the developing countries concern in process of addressing climate change

• Importance of COP15 : The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference raised climate change policy to the highest political level. According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon participating of More than 130 heads of state and government in this summit is “Clear proof that climate change has risen to the top of the global agenda”.

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Discourse

Discourse Analysis

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)

Review of Literature

• Discourse encompasses the meaning of a text as the producer intended it, and the meaning as the receiver reconstructed it.

• Discourse is a broad term with many a definition, which “integrates a whole palette of meanings” (Wodak, Titscher, Meyer, & Vetter, 1998).

“Discourse refers to the whole process of social interaction of which a text is just a part” (Fairclough 1989: 24),

discourse also can be used more precisely as different ways of responding aspects of the world(Fairclough, 2003a)

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Discourse

Discourse Analysis



Discourse analysis is a new, interdisciplinary field of study that has emerged from several other disciplines

(T.A. Van Dijk & studies, 1988) explain five important aspects of discourse analysis as fallow:

1-Discourse analysis is no longer the concern of a single discipline.

2-both text and context is the actual field of discourse analytical description and theory formation.

3-After the initial interest in fixed and written types of text, we have witnessed increasing attention for spoken, dialogical types of talk in a variety of social situations, primarily informal, everyday conversation.

4-The earlier emphasis on only a few discourse genres, such as talk and stories, now becomes broadened to many other discourse genres, such as law, official discourse, textbooks, interviews, advertising, and news discourse.

5-The theoretical framework has been enriched with new developments in formal grammars, logic, and computer-simulated programs .

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Discourse

Discourse Analysis



Critical discourse analysis starts from the view that messages in language, whether written or spoken, are ideological and may be used as tools for social control or domination of some groups by others (Sigauke, 2011).

• “The CDA as a network of scholars emerged in the early 1990s, following a small symposium in Amsterdam, in January 1991.Through the support of the University of Amsterdam, Teun van Dijk, Norman Fairclough, Gunther Kress, Theo van Leeuwen and Ruth Wodak spent two days together, and had the wonderful opportunity to discuss theories and methods of Discourse Analysis, specifically CDA”

• The object of CDA is public speech, such as advertisement,newspaper, political propagandas, official documents, laws and regulations and so on. Its aim is to explore the relationships among language ideology and power(Wang, 2010)

CDA objective is to perceive language use as social practice.

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Discourse

Discourse Analysis



Fairclough summarize the main tenets of CDA as follows:

1. CDA addresses social problems,

2. Power relations are discursive,

3. Discourse constitutes society and culture,

4. Discourse does ideological work,

5. Discourse is historical,

6.The link between text and society is

mediated,

7.Discourse analysis is interpretative and

explanatory,

8. Discourse is a form of social action

Fairclough

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Analytical tool

Social Practice

genre

style

assumptions

Ideology

modality

Conceptual basis For this research Conceptual basis is adapted from

Norman Fairclough’s ideas on critical discourse analysis

Fairclough

• Three dimensional method of discourse analysis”, introduced by Norman Fairclough in language and power (2001) :

• 1. Description is the stage which is concerned with the formal properties of the text.

• 2. Interpretation is concerned with the relationship between text and interaction – with seeing the text as a product of a process of production, and as a resource in the process of interpretation…

• 3. Explanation is concerned with the relationship between interaction and social context – with the social determination of the processes of production and interpretation, and their social effects

Textual analysis manifesto introduce by him in other Analyzing Discourse (2003).

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Analytical tool

Social Practice

genre

style

assumptions

Ideology

modality

Speech act

Conceptual basic

Fairclough

We attempt to link social practice and linguistic practice, as well as micro and macro analysis of discourse

Social practice as a practice of production involve

forms of work identificationrepresentations

of the social world

Social practice brings together different elements of life (physical elements, sociological elements, cultural/psychological elements, and text), Into a specific local relationship

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Analytical tool

Social Practice

genre

style

assumptions

Ideology

modality

Speech act

Conceptual basic

Fairclough

Genre way of acting in its discourse aspect (Fairclough, 2003b) ,the question of genre is the question of how texts figure (in relation to other moments) within work, the production of social life, and therefore within the social interaction that constitutes work

Styleparticular ways of being , particular social or personal identities (Fairclough, 2003a),The question of styles is the question of how text figures (in relation to other moments) in the identification of people involved in the practice (the construction of identities for them, and differences between them)(Fairclough, 2000).

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Analytical tool

Social Practice

genre

style

Assumption

Ideology

modality

Speech act

Conceptual basic

Fairclough

Assumption :The implicit meaning of text .( A number of other terms are used in the literature of pragmatics and semantics like presupposition, entailment ,)Three kind :1- existential : assumption about what exist 2- propositional : assumption about what is or can be or will be the case 3- Value : assumption about what is good or desirable

Ideology :Representation of aspects of the world which contribute to establishing and maintaining relations of power , domination , and exploitation .They me be concern in way of interacting ( genre) , and include in way of being ( style). Analyzing of texts especially assumption is an important aspect of ideological analysis

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Analytical tool

Social Practice

genre

style

Assumptions

Ideology

modality

Speech act

Conceptual basic

Fairclough

Modality The modality of clause or sentence is the relationship it sets up between author and representations – what author commit themselves to in terms of truth or necessity .

Two kind :

1- Expressive : Modality of truth and probabilities

2- Relational : Modality of necessity and obligation

speech acts

are a central aspect of pragmatics and can be characterized by some items like: making a promise, threating, warning, asking a question, giving an order, and so on.

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Assumption

Speech acts

Chain of events

Style

Genre

Key words Analysis

Modality

(p1-line1) I bring to you the voice of Malaysians who are of no doubt that climate change, and the cataclysmic consequences arising from it are indeed real. Like many other parts of the world, we too have witnessed climate related disasters which were heart breaking and devastating .

Textual Analysis

Text

• introduce himself as massager of Malaysian nation

• coming from democratic systems that is based on a grass root

• uses inclusive we on behalf of himself and Malaysia

Analysis

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Assumption

Speech acts

Chain of events

Style

Genre

Key words Analysis

Modality

(P2)… Malaysia believes that the science is sound and clear. However like other developing countries, we are now grappling with how to translate the need to control emissions into our economic development system, plans and policies. The necessary adjustments require massive changes in many sectors that affect the very fabric of our economy.

Textual Analysis

Text

1-Malaysia want to joint others countries for approaching climate change challenge.

2-Malaysia needs a major institutional reform in his economic sector for fallowing above intention.

3-Malaysia believes that science and technology for addressing climate change is sound and belongs to developed countries.

Propositional assumptions

19


Assumption

Speech acts

Chain of events

Style

Genre

Key words Analysis

Modality

(P 7 ) Another serious concern we have is the looming threat of trade protection under the guise of addressing climate change. For Copenhagen to succeed there must be a clear statement that developed countries shall not take trade related measures such as carbon tariffs and border adjustment measures against the products, services.(P13 – line 66)The key to our future cooperation is to recognize, adopt and work out the realization of the principle of fair shares to the atmospheric space and resource. (P14-line72) Any document that is placed into the process in a unilateral manner will be counterproductive and risks the failure of Copenhagen. This would be a catastrophe that our mother earth cans ill afford

Textual Analysis

Text

1-The developing countries should be helped without any trade related approach.

2-Najib concentrates on the importance of “fair shares to the atmospheric space ”

3- Najib negatively outline his ideology about any process with unilateral manner

Value assumption

20


Assumption

Speech acts

Chain of events

Style

Genre

Key words Analysis

Modality

(p6-line33)The developed countries also have to guarantee adequate financing and technology transfer. it is only if these are accepted as part of a integrated package that developing countries can agree to a global goal of emission reduction.

(P10-line48)I would also like to announce here in Copenhagen that Malaysia is adopting an indicator of a voluntary reduction of up to 40% in terms of emissions intensity of GDP by the year 2020 compared to 2005 levels.

Textual Analysis

Text

speech acts : are a central aspect of pragmatics and can be characterized by some items like: making a promise, threating, warning, asking a question, giving an order, and so on. • Najib ‘warns’ that accepting global goal of emission

reduction depend on receiving support from developed countries.

• Najib’s promise about 40% reductions in carbon dioxide emission shows another part of his speech acts.

• This part of Najib’s discourse can be explained as policy discourse that contributes to social change

Analysis

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Assumption

Speech acts

Ideological view

Chain of events

Style

Genre

Key words Analysis

Modality

•

1- COP15 was an important event in the negotiating process .2-More than 40,000 people, representing governments, nongovernmental organizations,, faith-based organizations, media and UN agencies applied for accreditation 3-CO15 is part of international chain of events of which attempt to tackle climate change issue.

Textual Analysis

Note

• Since Najib’s speech is part this event , it can be said that Najib discourse is part of international chain of events that aim to address climate change

Analysis

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Assumption

Speech acts

Chain of events

Style

Genre

Key words Analysis

Modality

Textual Analysis

• 1- Najib on one hand is speaking on behalf of and as part of developing countries and on the other hand he is speaking as leader of Malaysia . Furthermore , Najib is reporting the concern of Malaysia and other developing countries in terms of addressing climate change . Thus , it might be said that there is mixture of style : the speaker as reporter and the speaker as protagonist .

• 2- Najib’s style in the speech characterize by :

• 2-1 modality

• 2-2 Vocabulary

Analysis

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Assumption

Speech acts

Ideological view

Chain of events

Style

Genre

Key words Analysis

Modality

•

According to Fairclough, different genres are different way of interacting discoursally. He distinguishes between genres of governance with practical genres and explained that “governance in this concept refer to any activity within an institution or organization directed at regulation ”

Textual Analysis

Genre

• Considering this explanation Najib’s speech in COP15 could be interpreted as governance genre. This speech is a position of Malaysian governance about climate and might be made for a purpose of record.

Analysis

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Assumption

Speech acts

Chain of events

Style

Genre

Key words Analysis

Modality

•

Textual Analysis

Repeated word

Make distinguish between developed and developing countries in term of having technology and financial facilities .Attempt to insist the necessity of transferring technology and financial support from developed countries to developing countries .

Analysis

Keyword Repeats

1.countries 23

2.climate 12

3.our 12

4.developed 10

5.developing 10

6.Malaysia 8

7.dollars 7

8.reduction 6

9. technology 4

10.finance 3

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Assumption

Speech acts

Ideological view

Chain of events

Style

Genre

Key words Analysis

Modality

•

1- We have therefore decided on setting for ourselves voluntary national indicators to measure our progress in climate action.2- Another serious concern we have is the looming threat of trade protection under the guise of addressing climate change. 3-It is therefore crucial that we link the issue of shared vision to the issue of financing and technology transfer.

Textual Analysis

Text

• “inclusive” we that according to Fairclough (2001) ‘is of the reader as well as the writer’

1-Inclusive ‘we’ on behalf of himself and Malaysia which Malaysia or the government could both replace we.2-Inclusive ‘we’ on behalf of himself and developing countries. 3-Inclusive ‘we’ on behalf of all participant and it is making an implicit

.authority claim

Analysis

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Assumption

Speech acts

Ideological view

Chain of events

Style

Genre

Key words Analysis

Modality

•

We must have access to massive transfers of finance and relevant technologies without which our economic transformation cannot take place.For Copenhagen to succeed there must be a clear statement that developed countries shall not take trade related measures .

Textual Analysis

Text

modality is to do with speaker authority and there are two dimensions to modality: relational (if it is a matter of the authority of one participant in relation to others) and expressive (if it is a matter of the speaker or writer’s authority with respect to the truth) .

Considering Najib speech it can be assert that Najib has been used relational modality that show the authority and power relation to others.

Analysis

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Conclusion

• The speech analysis show that ,• this text belong to international chain of network in

attempting tackle climate change challenge .• Using inclusive ‘we’ in this speech have seen a sign of try

to show that there is no distinct between government and people in Malaysia .

• In terms of modality the study assert that using relational modality is evident in Najib’s discourse.

• There is mixture of style in Najib’s speech : reporter and protagonist .

• Najib’s promise for reducing CO2 has explained as sign of policy document in this text.

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Conclusion

• Decipher the ideological standpoint of Najib lead us to make fallowing conclusion as :well

• 1- Unilateral manner process in addressing climate change has been rejected by Najib.

• 2- The developing countries should be helped without any trade related approach.

• 3- Necessity of transferring technology and financial support from developed countries to developing countries has to consider as high priority.

• 4- Although Malaysia takes his step for addressing climate change, successfulness of this attempt depends on receiving needed technology and financial support from developed countries.

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Thank you for your attention

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A Critical Discourse Analysis of Malaysian prime minister's speech in Copenhagen

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