Crisis Discourse from a Proximization Theory Perspective:A Case Study Based on the Discourse of Social Crisis in Chile
Based on the theoretical framework of critical cognitive linguistics and considering the theoretical perspective of the Proximization Theory,this paper analyzes the text of Chile's then-President Pi(n)era's public speech during the social protests in Chile from October to December 2019 and attempts to reveal the spatial construction of social crisis discourse,the application of discourse strategies,and the social inter-pretation of relevant discourse.To adequately address the outbreak of violent protests within the country,the Chilean leader employed a comprehensive application of spatial,temporal,and axiological proximization strategies from the Proximization Theory in his social crisis discourse practice.Among these,the application of the spatial proximization strategy was the most frequently employed,followed by the axiological proximization strategy,with the temporal proximization strategy being the least used.After analyzing the use of relevant discourse in terms of spatial,temporal,and axiological proximization strategies,the paper has concluded that the former Chilean President's practice of crisis discourse has profound social motivation:first,it aims to stabilize the social order and boost the economy to increase the public's support rate and lay the foundation for seeking reelection;second,it is aimed at encouraging the public to participate more actively in the political life of the country,thereby increasing their trust and support for the incumbent government;finally,it is intended to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor in society,alleviate structural social contradictions and create an image of an emerging country that is "rich,strong,just and people-oriented".
Proximization TheoryChilesocial crisis discoursestrategies of discoursecritical discourse analysis
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