Stuck between group and transgression
An analysis of the strategic utilization of stance to navigate in-group condemnations
This study examines how politicians navigate the challenge of publicly condemning transgressions committed by members of their in-group. Examining ten transgressions committed by Israeli political actors which attracted public attention, the study engages in a discourse analysis of politicians’ posts, illustrating eight discursive strategies for coping with this challenge. It utilizes Du Bois’ stance triangle to illustrate how politicians navigate conflicting affiliations to their in-group and to public values. While certain types of in-group condemnations illustrate an adherence to public values at the expense of group cohesion, other types of downgraded condemnations demonstrate how group affiliation trumps value-affiliation. The study illustrates that the prevalence of downgraded in-group condemnations is indicative of extreme polarization at the expense of “statism”–an increasing trend in Israel in recent years.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 1.1Stancetaking and condemnations
- 1.2The complexity of stancetaking in in-group condemnation
- 1.3X as platform for political speech acts
- 1.4Research purpose
- 1.5Case study
- 2.Method
- 3.Analysis
- 3.1Direct condemnation
- 3.1.1Unequivocal condemnation
- 3.1.2Unacceptable acts
- 3.2Adopting an instrumental perspective
- 3.2.1Prevents the security forces from doing their jobs
- 3.2.2Gift to opponents
- 3.3Adopting a responsibility discourse
- 3.3.1Elected officials have a responsibility
- 3.3.2Using the transgression as a “teachable moment”
- 3.4Distinction between illegitimate words and legitimate ideology
- 3.4.1Arguing the distinction between words and ideology
- 3.4.2Enacting that ideology properly
- 3.5Focusing on the transgressor’s route to self-correction
- 3.5.1The process that the transgressor should take
- 3.5.2Direct call to the transgressor to apologize
- 3.5.3The transgressor apologized
- 3.6Attempts to minimize the transgression
- 3.6.1Euphemization
- 3.6.2Bothsidesism
- 3.6.3Bigger elsewhere
- 3.7Alignment with or distancing from the transgressors or victims
- 3.7.1Standing with the victims
- 3.7.2Disagree with the victim on everything, but…
- 3.7.3Statement of proximity with transgressor
- 3.7.4Disassociation with the transgressor
- 3.7.5Not who we are
- 3.1Direct condemnation
- 4.Discussion
- Acknowledgment
- Notes
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References