The Discursive Construction of Blame

The Language of Public Inquiries

James Murphy (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

310 Seiten

2018 | 2019 ed.
Palgrave Macmillan (Verlag)
978-1-137-50721-1 (ISBN)

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This book examines the language of public inquiries to reveal how blame is assigned, avoided, negotiated and discussed in this quasi-legal setting. In doing so, the author adds a much-needed linguistic perspective to the study of blame – previously the reserve of moral philosophers, sociologists and psychologists – at a time when public inquiries are being convened with increasing frequency. While the stated purpose of a public inquiry is rarely to apportion blame, this work reveals how blame is nevertheless woven into the fabric of the activity and how it is constructed by the language of the participants. Its chapters systematically analyse the establishment of inquiries, their questioning patterns, how blame can be avoided by witnesses, how blame is assigned or not by an inquiry’s panel and how such blame may result in public apologies. The author concludes with an engaging discussion on the value of public inquiries in civic life and suggestions for changes to the processes of public inquiries. This book will appeal to readers with a general interest in public and political language; in addition to scholars across the disciplines of communication, media studies, politics, sociology, social policy, philosophy, psychology, linguistics, rhetoric, public relations and public affairs.

James Murphy is Senior Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Openings: Terms, conditions and getting started.- Chapter 3: Questioning.- Chapter 4: Blame avoidance.- Chapter 5: The (non-)assigning of blame.- Chapter 6: Apologising.- Chapter 7: Conclusion.

Erscheinungsdatum	18.09.2018
Zusatzinfo	8 Illustrations, black and white; XII, 310 p. 8 illus.
Verlagsort	Basingstoke
Sprache	englisch
Maße	148 x 210 mm
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Sprach- / Literaturwissenschaft ► Sprachwissenschaft
Themenwelt	Recht / Steuern ► Strafrecht ► Kriminologie
ISBN-10	1-137-50721-7 / 1137507217
ISBN-13	978-1-137-50721-1 / 9781137507211
Zustand	Neuware