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Discursive hysteresis

Conceptualizing chronological mismatch between political discourse and context through two case studies

ORCiD logo with link | Pontificia Comillas University
Published online: 31 August 2026
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https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.25241.rue
Abstract
This paper is a Discourse Analysis investigation on discursive hysteresis, a phenomenon that occurs when there is a chronological mismatch between a political actor’s discourse and the present social context he operates upon, whereby elements from a previous discursive structure persist even though they have become outdated. Even though the concept of hysteresis has long been applied in the fields of Economics and Sociology, it remains surprisingly overlooked among political scientists. The paper will introduce the notion of ‘discursive hysteresis’ through two case studies. The first focuses on Silvio Berlusconi and his relationship with the threat of Communism, while the second examines Nathalie Arthaud’s fixation with the working-class as a prominent political subject. Additional examples of hysteresis will be tangentially explored to expand this preliminary typology of the phenomenon.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 2.Theoretical Framework and Methodology: Introducing the Concept of ‘Discursive Hysteresis’ in Discourse Analysis
  • 3.Berlusconi and the specter of Communism
  • 4.Lutte Ouvrière and ‘the working class’
  • 5.Concluding remarks
  • References
References (89)
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