Barack Obama’s and Donald Trump’s Inaugural Addresses: A Critical Discourse Analysis

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Date

2018

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Université Mouloud Mammeri Tizi Ouzou

Abstract

The present dissertation is concerned with Critical Discourse Analysis of the texts of the inaugural addresses of Barack Obama and Donald Trump. It aims mainly at uncovering tenets of power and how ideology is communicated through discourse. In fact, it is guided by the three stages suggested by Norman Fairclough in his analytical framework (1989.1995.2001and2010). These are description, interpretation and explanation.at the level of description, the ten question model (1996) will be explored. In fact, this study combines between the quantitative and qualitative content analyses. Using the former is fruitful in recording numbers and percentages when answering questions from the ten questions model. The latter is better invested when analyzing stretches of the addresses where ideology appears. The study reveals the existence of tenets of ideology and power in the texts on the inaugural addresses of Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Besides, it displayed a clear deference in the ideological beliefs of the liberal Barack Obama and the conservative Donald Trump. More precisely, every president’s ideology is influence by the political beliefs his party holds. Moreover power is clearly communicated in the types of process, pronouns and model verbs embodied in discourse. all in all, Fairclough’s analytical framework is fruit fill deciphering how ideological beliefs and power are hidden in text.

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30cm ; 58p.

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Didactics of Foreign Languages