Gendered Discourses on war at the intersection between party affiliation and institutional role

Gendered Discourses on war at the intersection between party affiliation and institutional role The case of legislative Assemblies Cinzia Bevitori (University of Bologna at Forlì) cinzia.bevitori@unibo.it BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Background issues Parliamentary discourse The question of gender in institutional domains Research questions Corpus, Tools and Methods The HoC and HoR subcorpora Tools and Methods Corpus-assisted Discourse Analysis Case study war, people of Iraq, we must Outline of talk BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Background issues i. parliamentary discourse ii. gender and institutional discourse iii. research questions BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Background issues i.parliamentary discourse • sub-genre of political language (Carbò 1996, Van Dijk 2000, Bayley 2004) • ritualized and rule-bound • typically adversarial - “deliberate dispute” (Adams 1999) • typically male-dominated institutional space (Shaw 2000, Walsh 2001, Wodak 2003) BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Background issues ii. gender and institutional discourse • gender in context and situated meanings • meanings as contextually-dependent (Halliday 1994) within • ‘communities of practice’ (CofP) (Eckert and McConnell- Ginet 1992) • ‘performative’ (Butler 1990,1999), i.e. enacting gender • gender as a ‘dynamic’/‘fluid’ concept (inter alia Litosseliti 2002, Sunderland and Litosseliti 2002) as well as a ‘fixed’ concept (Walsh 2001) • gendered identities at the intersection with other “institutional” variables (Cameron 1997, Walsh 2001) BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Background issues iii. research questions • Do different/similar semantic patterns emerge in the talk of male and female MPs in the House/s? • Are they statistically salient or semantically ‘primed’ (Hoey 2005) to tell us anything about gendered discourses within this domain? • If (and to what extent) does positioning depend on variables of party affiliation and/or institutional role intersecting with gender? • If (and to what extent) do shared/unshared values in this given context impinge on gender? BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Corpus, Tools and Methods i. the corpus ii. tools and methods iii. corpus-assisted discourse studies BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

The CorpusHoC 2003 • Original corpus: transcripts of all 152 sittings • Tokens: 9,800,000 (approx. Wsmith counting procedure) • Iraq subcorpus:73 parliamentary “events” • tokens: 960,293 (approx.) • 412 speakers BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

The CorpusHoR 2003 • Original corpus: transcripts of all 135 sessions • Tokens: 17,000,000 (approx. Wsmith counting procedure) • Iraq subcorpus: • tokens: 1,394,163 (approx.) • 376 speakers BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

HoC and HoR and CorDis • CorDis: multigeneric corpus 5 million tokens ca. (see Morley and Bayley ed. 2009) • Encoded according toTEI standard • to be interrogated by Xaira (XML Aware Indexing and Retrieval Application, Oxford University Computing Service) • POS-tagged (CLAWS7, Lancaster) BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Taking the Floor about Iraq HoC party/sex distribution of tokens BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Taking the Floor about Iraq HoC Speaker role - Labour: Gov and Bb BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Taking the Floor about Iraq HoR party/sex distribution of tokens BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Methodology: a two-fold gaze Corpus-assisted Discourse Studies (CaDS)(Partington 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009) Combining CL techniques with the analytical tools of discourse analysis (inter alia, Hardt-Meutner 1995, Stubbs 1996, 2001, Baker 2006, Baker et al 2008, Bayley 1999, 2004, 2008, Miller 2006,Thompson and Hunston 2006, Bayley and Morley 2009) BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

typically implies: close reading of select text and text segments emerging as significant from quantitative research or ‘shunting’ (Halliday [1961] 2002: 45, Miller 2006), from concordance to text (and intertext) typically characterised by: compilation of ad hoc specialized corpora; use of other corpora for comparative purposes SFL-based discourse analysis and Appraisal (Halliday 1994, Martin and Rose 2000, Martin and White 2005) Methodology: a two-fold gaze CADS continued BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Case study war people (of iraq) we must BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Distribution of war and conflict BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

war/conflictparty/sex distribution (r.f.) BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

war/conflict party/sex distribution (r.f.) BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

gulf 154 62.0 crimes 44 38.2 cold 36 35.9 against 180 35.8 go 179 35.2 six-day 5 30.0 inevitable 31 29.8 syndrome 8 27.6 prisoners 36 24.7 opposed 41 24.5 prospectus 5 23.8 run-up 12 21.1 terrorism 73 20.7 case 73 20.2 justification 20 19.8 resort 17 19.0 aftermath 20 18.2 avoid 28 18.2 iraq 270 17.2 the 1966 16.9 terrorism 378 79.9 terror 159 59.0 against 369 50.0 prisoners 98 46.6 gulf 160 42.4 preemptive 52 40.9 world 345 39.7 profiteering 19 39.5 cold 57 38.6 iraq 762 38.0 cost 123 37.9 persian 63 37.8 win 93 37.7 during 166 35.9 vietnam 73 35.7 this 916 33.1 prisoner 30 29.9 winning 47 28.6 preventive 14 28.4 aftermath 44 27.5 war a.f. a.f. z-score z-score HoC HoR BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

gulf 154 62.0 crimes 44 38.2 cold 36 35.9 against 180 35.8 go 179 35.2 six-day 5 30.0 inevitable 31 29.8 syndrome 8 27.6 prisoners 36 24.7 opposed 41 24.5 prospectus 5 23.8 run-up 12 21.1 terrorism 73 20.7 case 73 20.2 justification 20 19.8 resort 17 19.0 aftermath 20 18.2 avoid 28 18.2 iraq 270 17.2 the 1966 16.9 terrorism 378 79.9 terror 159 59.0 against 369 50.0 prisoners 98 46.6 gulf 160 42.4 preemptive 52 40.9 world 345 39.7 profiteering 19 39.5 cold 57 38.6 iraq 762 38.0 cost 123 37.9 persian 63 37.8 win 93 37.7 during 166 35.9 vietnam 73 35.7 this 916 33.1 prisoner 30 29.9 winning 47 28.6 preventive 14 28.4 aftermath 44 27.5 war a.f. a.f. z-score z-score BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

war - top collocates (z-score)variables of sex/party/inst. role • Lab Gov (M):crimes, prisoners, syndrome, gulf, cold, avoid, decisions, criminals, sanctioned • Lab Gov (F):prospects, disorderly, troubled, cold, raging, suffering, catastrophe, bitter, avoided, scenario Labour: Government BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Gov. (F):war y of the record from the Gulf war onwards in relation to requests me from this crisis without a war that would cause great sufferin t there should be no rush to war. troubled by the prospects of war. troubled by the prospects of war and does not relish the prospec s not relish the prospects of war, and that people are willing to y that there should not be a war that inflicts great suffering o rian purposes in the event of war . raging about the prospect of war . penly about the prospects of war or military or humanitarian pre hat the best scenario is that war should be avoided if possible. n the middle east because any war would be a human catastrophe. splacing him without going to war and inflicting more hurt and su le of Iraq further suffering, war and the chaos that has come aft BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Gov. (F):war and prospects y of the record from the Gulf war onwards in relation to requests me from this crisis without a war that would cause great sufferin t there should be no rush to war. troubled by the prospects of war. troubled by the prospects of war and does not relish the prospec s not relish the prospects of war, and that people are willing to y that there should not be a war that inflicts great suffering o rian purposes in the event of war . raging about the prospect of war . penly about the prospects of war or military or humanitarian pre hat the best scenario is that warshould be avoided if possible. n the middle east because any war would be a human catastrophe. splacing him without going to war and inflicting more hurt and su le of Iraq further suffering, war and the chaos that has come aft BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Gov. (F):war and prospects and suffering y of the record from the Gulf war onwards in relation to requests me from this crisis without a war that would cause great sufferin t there should be no rush to war. troubled by the prospects of war. troubled by the prospects of war and does not relish the prospec s not relish the prospects of war, and that people are willing to y that there should not be a war that inflicts great suffering o rian purposes in the event of war . raging about the prospect of war . penly about the prospects of war or military or humanitarian pre hat the best scenario is that warshould be avoided if possible. n the middle east because any war would be a human catastrophe. splacing him without going to war and inflicting more hurt and su le of Iraq further suffering, war and the chaos that has come aft BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Gov. (F):suffering a war that inflicts great suffering on the already long-suffering necessary bombardment and suffering for the people of Iraq, which inflicting more hurt and suffering on the people of Iraq. We did ons were causing enormous suffering to the people of Iraq. But of President Mugabe. The suffering and destruction that he has is necessary to minimise suffering and to maximise the speed wit possible to minimise the suffering of children without minimi ty now is to minimise the suffering of the people of Iraq during t en without minimising the suffering of civilians, of their mothers our power to minimise the suffering of the people. It is not possi eople of Iraq are already suffering a humanitarian catastrophe. So detailed accounts of the suffering of people and children at Ha ering on the already long-suffering people of Iraq, it is our duty courts for the terrible suffering and breach of international la omy, thuggery, hunger and suffering. My instinct is that the end i horror, chaos, death and suffering of war. As a result of the sec he people of Iraq further suffering, war and the chaos that has co ere and then minimise the suffering of the people. The hon. Memb there would be much less suffering for the people of Iraq, and th ar that would cause great suffering to the people of Iraq. I am no s brutal, the people were suffering, our Attorney-General belatedl which we can minimise the suffering of the people of Iraq in terms BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Gov. (F):suffering a war that inflicts great suffering on the already long-suffering necessary bombardment and suffering for the people of Iraq, which inflicting more hurt and suffering on the people of Iraq. We did ons were causing enormous suffering to the people of Iraq. But of President Mugabe. The suffering and destruction that he has is necessary to minimise suffering and to maximise the speed wit possible to minimise the suffering of children without minimi ty now is to minimise the suffering of the people of Iraq during t en without minimisingthe suffering of civilians, of their mothers our power to minimise the suffering of the people. It is not possi eople of Iraq are already suffering a humanitarian catastrophe. So detailed accounts of the suffering of people and children at Ha ering on the already long-suffering people of Iraq, it is our duty courts for the terrible suffering and breach of international la omy, thuggery, hunger and suffering. My instinct is that the end i horror, chaos, death and suffering of war. As a result of the sec he people of Iraq further suffering, war and the chaos that has co ere and then minimise the suffering of the people. The hon. Memb there would be much less suffering for the people of Iraq, and th ar that would cause great suffering to the people of Iraq. I am no s brutal, the people were suffering, our Attorney-General belatedl which we can minimise the suffering of the people of Iraq in terms BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Opposition-initiated debate, 30th Jan. 2003 C. Short: While I welcome the concern among the people of our country that there should not be a war that inflicts great suffering on the already long-sufferingpeople of Iraq, it is our duty to send the firm message to Saddam Hussein that this time the UN is in business, is invincible and will not go away, and that there mustbe disarmament. BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Question Time 26 Feb 2003 • Mrs. Spelman (Con): The whole House is aware of, and sympathetic to, the doubts and concerns that the Secretary of State has publicly admitted about the prospect of war in Iraq. However, does she accept that the effect of those doubts has been to prevent her from engaging properly in all attempts to discuss what humanitarian plans would be in place to mitigate the consequencesof war? Does she also accept that, ironically, that could have grave consequences for the people of Iraq? BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Labour: Govnode: people (z-score) • iraqi 52.3 • fed 26.7 • benefit 24.6 • displaced 22.9 • minimise 19.2 • iraq 18.6 • own 17.8 • brutalised 17.6 • quarrel 17.0 • benefiting 16.5 • suffering 16.4 • internally 16.3 • educated 15.5 BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

M iraqi 55.6 benefit 23.8 own 19.8 brutalised 19.1 quarrel 18.5 benefiting 17.9 iraq16.7 innocent 15.6 who 15.1 thousands 14.0 F fed 50.1 displaced 46.0 minimise 44.4 suffering 34.8 educated 33.6 livelihoods 26.3 handouts 25.6 movements 23.6 one-off 22.2 disadvantaged 22.2 Labour: Gov (combined variables) node: people (z-score) BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

people of Iraq/Iraqi people dominant semantic motifs • Gov’s positioning (M) • benefiting/helping (the people of Iraq) • empowerment (take responsibility for government) • brutality and suffering (of the regime) • Gov’s positioning (F) > [Clare Short]: • minimize the suffering of the people (of Iraq) • (negative) prospects of war > e.g. “humanitarian” • (Bayley and Bevitori 2009: 74-107) BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

wartop collocates (variables of sex/party) • Lab Bb (M):against, gulf, discrete, opposed, go, terrorism, excuses, pre-emptive, wrongs, avoid, alternative, case, iraq, rushing, voted • Lab Bb (F):crimes, indictments/indicting, deadliest, humanity, proportionate, aims, gulf, against, inevitable, brink, refugees, consequence, sceptical Labour: Back Benchers BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Question Time, 21 Jan. 2003 • Mrs. Alice Mahon (Halifax): Is my hon Friend the Member for Cynon Valley [Ann_Clwyd ] not correct in saying that Saddam needs to be dealt with because of his responsibility for these matters? The Government have taken a leading role in international tribunals that deal with war crimes and crimes against humanity, so, instead of letting peopleoff the hook, is it not now time to find a way of bringing them to book? How will the British Government go about doing that? BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

wartop collocates (variables of sex/party) • Lab Bb (M):against, gulf, discrete, opposed, go, terrorism, excuses, pre-emptive, wrongs, avoid, alternative, case, iraq, rushing, voted • Lab Bb (F):crimes, indictments/indicting, deadliest, humanity, proportionate, aims, gulf, against, inevitable, brink, refugees, consequence, sceptical BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Lab: Bb (M) war and terrorism Clearly, any war against terrorism has many differ If we are to have a war against terrorism, and it is again In relation to the war against terrorism, the Chancellor e rights and wrongs of a war against terrorism, and about the mi reign policy aspects of a war on terrorism, we must realise that Let us prosecute the war against terrorism through the Unit he war has no link to the war against terrorism and will exacerba d July this year, on the war against terrorism. This is a war that will have no end, so long as p support the more general war on terrorism. war on terrorism. War is justified if we or our allies ar id, I support the general war on terrorism. as a logical step in the war on terrorism- in fact, I thought th gative consequence on the war on terrorism because the internat tting co-operation in the war on terrorism from generally unreli was the right move in the war on terrorism; some wanted Saddam to back to the tasks of the war on terrorism and the building of th BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Lab: Bb (M) war and terrorism Clearly, any war against terrorism has many differ If we are to have a war against terrorism, and it is again In relation to the war against terrorism, the Chancellor e rights and wrongs of a war against terrorism, and about the mi reign policy aspects of a war on terrorism, we must realise that Let us prosecute the war against terrorismthrough the Unit he war has no link to the war against terrorism and will exacerba d July this year, on the war against terrorism. This is a war that will have no end, so long as p support the more generalwar on terrorism. war on terrorism.War isjustified if we or our allies ar id, I support the generalwar on terrorism. as a logical step in the war on terrorism- in fact, I thought th gative consequence on the war on terrorism because the internat tting co-operation in the war on terrorism from generally unreli was theright move in the war on terrorism; some wanted Saddam to back to the tasks of the war on terrorism and the building of th BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Gov-initiated debate, 11th March 2003“War against terrorism” • Vernon Coaker (Gedling): While we talk about the rights and wrongs of a war against terrorism, and about the military side of any campaign, it is important, if we are to demonstrate that what we are doing is against the regime in Iraq and not against the people, that we plan for the humanitarian consequences of any conflict, and that we do what we can to protect the ordinary people of Iraq. […] BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Lab: Bb (F) war and terrorism • Mrs. Alice Mahon (Halifax): The policy of merging the issue of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq with the aims of the war on terrorism is no substitute for any hard evidence of weapons of mass destruction or, indeed, a link with al-Qaeda. Does the Foreign Secretary realise that many will view this attempt as disingenuous? It is also a disaster for good international relations and in terms of protecting the people of this country, it is downright dangerous. (Statement to the House, 21 January 2003) BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Opposition-initiated debate, 9 Sept. 2003 • Alice Mahon (Halifax): However, now is not the time for that. It is timely to remind Hon Members of the genuine consequences of the illegal and immoralwarfor thepeople of Iraq. It is proper to examine the way in which millions of ordinaryIraqi people are sufferingnow. We should also consider the destabilisation of the middle east. BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

people of iraq • Lab: BB (M):top collocates: liberate, liberation, reconciliation, justifiable • dominant motifs: variable stance • upholding the Gov’s position: • liberating the people from dictatorship • empowerment: peace and reconciliation • contesting the Gov’s position • dire consequences • Lab: BB (F):top collocates: suffering, immoral,inflicting, saving (“no prospect of saving”) • dominant motifs: less varied • contesting the Gov’s position • war is illegal and immoral • dire consequences (people are suffering now) BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Opposition-initiated debate 30 th Jan 2003 • Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): […] there are Hon Members who argue—perhaps the Hon Member for North-West Cambridgeshire [Mawhinney_Brian Conservative:Bb] came closest to saying this — that it might be better to have the war to save the people of Iraq from their existing fate. • I can not accept that. It is, of course, not the purpose of resolution 1441, and it can not be part of the judgment that the Security Council will take on hearing the inspectors' reports. I cannot believe that that is the best way forward for the Iraqi people. • We know what the immediate humanitarian results are likely to be, but the question is: what will follow the military onslaught? Like the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) and my hon. Friend the Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd), I want to refer to Afghanistan BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

american 45.8 iraqi 37.6 who 31.9 oppressed 27.7 these 26.8 are 25.3 liberate 24.9 own 21.6 freeing 21.5 oppress 20.9 american 149.1 who 29.5 deserve 27.8 the 26.5 are 25.1 iraqi 24.5 leveled 24.5 young 23.0 congress 22.7 behalf 22.0 borrow 20.9 peopletop 10 collocates HoR Republicans Democrats BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

people of iraq HoR • Dem M: the people of iraq are better off/freer…but • Mr. McDermott (Washington): […] There can be little argument about whether the people of Iraq are better off today than they were under Hussein. They are. Butthe 200 young Americans who have died and continue to die, one died last night, did not pledge their lives to make the people of Iraq better off. They pledged to protect the United States of America from real threats to our security. They died believing that they did. So far, I do not know why they died. (5 minutes speech, 15 July 2003) BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

people of iraq HoR • Mr. Udall of Colorado: […] The people of Iraqare freer with Saddam Hussein out of power—at least for now—but our go-it-alone policies have left us with few friends willing to help cover the costs of his removal or Iraq's reconstruction. (Debate 17 Oct. 2003) • Mr. Obey: […] If we are going to be bombing the devil out of a country, I suspect that we have a considerable moral obligation to the population afterwards to help repair the damage and to help repair the human misery. So I do not begrudge what we will be trying to do for the people of Iraq after this miserable war. What I do hope, however, is that we will be able to reduce and perhaps eliminate future tax cuts that are contemplated right now here at home…(Debate 3 April 2003) BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Dem F :concern for our people (troops) and the people of iraq, civilians, victims; help them rebuild and reconstruct nocent lives, the victims, the people of Iraq for what might c ave a commonality with the people of Iraq , either by way for our troops, right for the people of Iraq , and worthy of sup we it to our troops and to the people of Iraq to acknowledge the e troops in the field and to the people of Iraq after the war; the their ability to represent the people of Iraq. From my study of fighting men and women and the people of Iraq . I join my colleag ies to our military and to the people of Iraq , and we will contin port of our allies to help the people of Iraq rebuild their countr the United States and to the people of Iraq to do our utmost to on with other nations and the people of Iraq and eliminate the ba mental with sympathy for the people of Iraq whose liberation has dam Hussein, and certainly the people of Iraq should not be saddl merican people, as well as the people of Iraq. First, this approp tes troops, civilians and the people of Iraq. But even before goi people of iraqHoR

Case study “a register specific feature in institutional deliberative dispute” (Miller and Johnson 2009b) war people (of iraq) we must BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

we must across CorDis must wemust

we must: party/sex distribution HoR BAAL Corpus Linguistics Event Lancaster University, 30 March 2010

Gendered Discourses on war at the intersection between party affiliation and institutional role