DefinePK

Research Objective

To analyze the peace paradigms (Positive and Negative) in selected political speeches of Donald Trump and Barack Obama using Halliday's Interpersonal Metafunction and Galtung's peace theory.

Methodology

A mixed methodology with a sequential exploratory design was employed. The study involved a detailed and in-depth qualitative analysis of two selected political speeches (one by Barack Obama and one by Donald Trump), followed by quantitative analysis of specific linguistic features. The analysis focused on aspects of Halliday's Interpersonal Metafunction, including mood, modality, polarity, and appraisal (affect, judgment, appreciation), to understand their relationship with Galtung's peace paradigms.

Methodology Flowchart

                        graph TD
    A[Select Political Speeches] --> B[Apply Halliday's Interpersonal Metafunction Framework];
    B --> C[Analyze Mood, Modality, Polarity, Appraisal];
    C --> D[Analyze Peace ParadigmsGaltung's Theory];
    D --> E[Correlate Linguistic Features with Peace Paradigms];
    E --> F[Draw Conclusions and Implications];                    

Discussion

The study highlights how linguistic choices within the Interpersonal Metafunction of Systemic Functional Grammar can reveal underlying peace ideologies in political discourse. The analysis suggests that while structural linguistic elements like mood and modality play a role, the evaluative aspects of language (attitude) are more directly linked to the construction of peace paradigms. The research also emphasizes the practical implications of SFG for critical language analysis and for enriching the understanding of peace concepts, particularly by encouraging a greater focus on Positive Peace.

Key Findings

1. Both speeches predominantly focused on Negative Peace (absence of violence) rather than Positive Peace (social justice, equality).
2. Attitude (affect, judgment, appreciation) showed a strong connection to building peace paradigms, with specific emotions and evaluations linked to discussions of peace or conflict.
3. Mood, modality, and polarity contributed less significantly to the construction of positive or negative peace concepts in the analyzed speeches.
4. Declarative mood was dominant in both speeches, reflecting the informative and persuasive nature of political discourse.
5. Positive median modal verbs were frequently used to signal certainty and commitment to future policies.
6. Negative modality was used sparingly as it can create distance between the speaker and the audience.

Conclusion

The research concludes that Halliday's Interpersonal Metafunction, particularly the appraisal system, offers valuable insights into how political leaders frame their perspectives on peace. The study demonstrates the utility of SFG as a tool for linguistic analysis of political speeches and suggests that a more balanced approach incorporating Positive Peace dimensions could be beneficial for political discourse.

Fact Check

1. Speech Length: Sample speech 1 (Obama) had 3366 words, 174 sentences, and 314 clauses. Sample speech 2 (Trump) had 3045 words, 153 sentences, and 247 clauses. (Confirmed in Methodology section).
2. Dominant Mood: Declarative mood was the dominant mood in both speeches. (Confirmed in Mood analysis section).
3. Modal Verb Frequency: Positive median modal verbs like "will," "would," and "should" were the most frequently used in both speeches, with frequencies of 41 and 41 times in speech 1 and 41 and 32 times in speech 2 respectively. (Note: The text provides slightly different numbers for speech 2's modal verbs in the text vs. the table. The text states 41 and 41, while the table states 41 and 32. The text's claim of 41 and 41 for "will, would, should" in speech 1 and speech 2 respectively is used here for consistency with the main text body).

Mind Map