Temporal Deixis and Discourse Construction in Identity

doi:10.12002/j.bisu.292

Abstract

Abstract:

Identity research has been a hot spot in many fields, and identities have been found to be constructed often through the manipulative use of language. This research conducts a comparative analysis of the 22 annual Policy Addresses (PA) of the Hong Kong Government (both the British Hong Kong Government and the Hong Kong SAR Government) that were delivered during the pre- and post-transition period to reveal how three kinds of temporal deixis are used as discursive strategies to construct social identities. Among the major findings are the following three observations: (1) past temporal deixis helps construct the positive Hong Kong history in the pre-transition PA but conversely constructs the negative Hong Kong colonized history in the post-transition PA; (2) future temporal deixis contributes to the construction of a transient and uncertain future for Hong Kong in the pre-transition PA and conversely a positive Hong Kong future and a positive China in the post-transition PA; (3) absolute temporal deixis “1997” in the pre-transition PA constructs a negative “1997 event” and conversely in the post-transition PA a positive “reunion with China”. The paper concludes that temporal deixis is a discursive strategy in the manipulative construction of Hong Kong identities, which provides a new perspective for the study of temporal deixis and enriches the study of identity from the perspective of sociolinguistics and pragmatics.

Keywords: temporal deixis; identity; discourse construction; Hong Kong Policy Address; Critical Discourse Analysis

摘要：

本文从批评话语分析视角对比了香港回归前后（1986—2008）港英政府和香港特区政府的施政报告中时间指示语的用法。研究发现,过去时间指示语在回归前港英政府的施政报告中用于建构“正面的香港人与英国人的共同历史”,而在回归后特区政府的施政报告中建构“负面的香港被殖民的历史”;将来时间指示语在回归前港英政府的施政报告中所建构的香港的未来是短暂的、不确定的,而在回归后特区政府的施政报告中所建构的香港和中国的未来则是正面的、稳定的;绝对时间指示语“1997年”在回归前港英政府的施政报告中建构的是负面的“1997年事件”,而在回归后特区政府的施政报告中建构的则是正面的“1997年的回归”。研究认为,身份可以通过语言得到建构,时间指示语的使用就是一种身份建构策略,通过分析时间指示语的使用可以揭示身份的历时建构,为身份理论研究提供新的路径。

关键词: 时间指示语, 身份, 话语建构, 香港施政报告, 批评话语分析

CLC Number:

H313

Jialin Wang, Jianping Chen. Temporal Deixis and Discourse Construction in Identity[J]. Journal of Beijing International Studies University, 2020, 42(4): 56-67.

王加林, 陈建平. 时间指示语与身份话语建构——基于回归前后香港施政报告的研究[J]. 北京第二外国语学院学报, 2020, 42(4): 56-67.

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