Yova Kementchedjhieva

Code-Switching as Strategically Employed in Political Discourse

Introduction

Code-switching as strategically employed in political discourse. Explore strategic code-switching in political discourse, analyzing how Boyko Borisov uses standard and nonstandard codes to balance authority and solidarity, gaining voter support.

Abstract

There is extensive scholarship in the field of sociolinguistics on mediated political discourse as strategically employed to gain support in the run-up to and during elections. Among other things, this work reveals that the rhetorical success of politicians greatly depends on their ability to get the right balance between the expression of authority and solidarity in their speech performances. The use of code-switching in achieving such balance has been touched upon in some case studies but never studied in depth. I analyse the speech of Boyko Borisov, now Prime Minister of Bulgaria (and at the time of recording, a candidate for the position), in the framework of Bell’s (1984) audience and referee design theory, with reference to Myers Scotton and Ury’s (1977) views on code-switching. Borisov is found to employ two codes, a standard and a nonstandard one, characteristic of two different personae of his: the authoritative politician and the folksy, regular person. Depending on the situation, he chooses to act out either just one of these personae or both of them by switching between the two codes, thus maintaining the aforementioned vital balance between the expression of power and solidarity. The analysis reveals that the switches occur at specific points in the conversation, in line with existing theory on metaphorical code-switching, confirming that they are strategic in nature rather than random or accidental.

Review

This paper addresses a highly pertinent and underexplored area within sociolinguistics: the strategic employment of code-switching in political discourse. Building on extensive scholarship concerning rhetorical success in elections and the crucial balance between authority and solidarity, the author clearly identifies a significant gap in the literature regarding an in-depth study of code-switching in this context. The abstract outlines a compelling argument that politicians strategically use code-switching to manage their public personae and maintain this delicate balance, proposing a new level of understanding for a phenomenon previously only "touched upon" in case studies. The methodology appears robust, grounding the analysis in established theoretical frameworks such as Bell's audience and referee design theory and Myers Scotton and Ury’s views on code-switching. The selection of Boyko Borisov, a prominent Bulgarian political figure, offers a rich empirical case study for demonstrating these theoretical principles in action. The paper's core strength lies in its ability to dissect Borisov's speech, identifying two distinct codes corresponding to "authoritative politician" and "folksy, regular person" personae. The finding that switches occur at "specific points" and are strategic rather than random strongly reinforces existing theory on metaphorical code-switching, thereby offering concrete evidence for the deliberate manipulation of linguistic resources in political communication. This research promises to make a valuable contribution to both sociolinguistics and political communication studies. While the abstract effectively highlights the analytical depth achieved within the chosen case study, future iterations or related works could consider the broader generalizability of these findings across different linguistic and political contexts, or delve further into the specific sociolinguistic indexing of the "standard" and "nonstandard" codes in Bulgaria. Nevertheless, this paper sets out a clear and insightful analysis that significantly advances our understanding of how politicians harness code-switching to navigate the complex demands of electoral rhetoric, solidifying its place as a thoughtful and well-executed piece of scholarship.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.