Constructing the ‘us’ and ‘them’ dichotomy through the notion of responsibility: An integrated framework

Abstract

Based on the methodological approach to responsibility-related discourses in critical discourse studies and the theoretical understanding of the notion of responsibility in international relations and political studies, this paper proposes an integrated theoretical and methodological framework for responsibility-related discourses in the political realm. It evidences the applicability of the proposed framework in discourses of China-US trade conflicts constructed by China’s state-run news media in both traditional and social media platforms in 2019 and 2020. The proposed framework extends the explanatory power of the notion of responsibility in constructing the ‘us’ and ‘them’ dichotomy.