‘Language’, power and liberty: Discursive constructions of Ghanaian glossolalic speeches

IF 2.4 1区文学 Q1 COMMUNICATION

Discourse & Society Pub Date : 2023-04-10 DOI:10.1177/09579265221142444

S. Obeng, S. Ofori

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引用次数: 1

Abstract

Unlike xenoglossia (xenolalia), which involves speaking a language one has neither learned nor could have acquired naturally, glossolalia (ecstatic speech) is the uttering of ‘incomprehensible’ stretch of utterances while in a state of trance. Using transcripts of recorded glossolalic utterances and of interviews collected over a 3-month period as our data source and working within the frameworks of language and power, and language and liberty we demonstrate that there is a strong link between glossolalic performance and the concepts of power and liberty. Thus, we establish that one’s ability to use glossolalia and another’s ability to interpret them are constituents of power. Also demonstrated is the use of specific linguistic (phonetic, syntactic, and pragmatic) resources to seek liberty for self or deny others liberty. We show further that individuals’ institutional obligation of regulating turns and determining turn duration of glossolalic interactions constitutes power and has relevance for liberty contestation, gain or loss. Finally, we prove that the performance of power and its interpretation are tools for exhibiting liberty.

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“语言”、权力与自由：加纳语言演讲的话语建构

与异种语言（xenolalia）不同，异种语言包括说一种既没有学会也不可能自然习得的语言，舌音（狂喜的言语）是在恍惚状态下说出“无法理解”的一段话。使用3个月内收集的记录的舌语表达和采访的记录作为我们的数据源，并在语言和权力以及语言和自由的框架内工作，我们证明了舌语表现与权力和自由的概念之间存在着密切的联系。因此，我们确立了一个人使用舌语的能力和另一个人解释它们的能力是权力的组成部分。还证明了使用特定的语言（语音、句法和语用）资源来为自己寻求自由或否定他人的自由。我们进一步表明，个人调节言语交际的转向和确定转向持续时间的制度义务构成了权力，并与自由的争夺、得失有关。最后，我们证明了权力的表现及其解释是展示自由的工具。

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来源期刊

Discourse & Society Multiple-

CiteScore

4.50

自引率

4.50%

发文量

期刊介绍： Discourse & Society is a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal whose major aim is to publish outstanding research at the boundaries of discourse analysis and the social sciences. It focuses on explicit theory formation and analysis of the relationships between the structures of text, talk, language use, verbal interaction or communication, on the one hand, and societal, political or cultural micro- and macrostructures and cognitive social representations, on the other hand. That is, D&S studies society through discourse and discourse through an analysis of its socio-political and cultural functions or implications. Its contributions are based on advanced theory formation and methodologies of several disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.