Policy Briefs
|
Mrz 29, 2019
Talking about Brexit – voices from before and after the referendum
By: Veronika Koller, Susanne Kopf, Marlene Miglbauer
In the United Kingdom in particular, Brexit has been negotiated in terms of us vs them, we against the threatening ‘Other’ across media and genres, across party lines and time. This language of opposition contributed to the referendum’s unexpected outcome. What is more, the polarising linguistic behaviour observed perpetuated a climate of distrust and division after the referendum and continues to impact the UK’s stance towards the European Union. On the basis of their findings, the authors of this Policy Brief propose several steps to mitigate and over time hopefully reverse the detrimental effects of the rhetoric surrounding Brexit.
In the United Kingdom in particular, Brexit has been negotiated in terms of us vs them, we against the threatening ‘Other’ across media and genres, across party lines and time. This language of opposition contributed to the referendum’s unexpected outcome. What is more, the polarising linguistic behaviour observed perpetuated a climate of distrust and division after the referendum and continues to impact the UK’s stance towards the European Union. On the basis of their findings, the authors of this Policy Brief propose several steps to mitigate and over time hopefully reverse the detrimental effects of the rhetoric surrounding Brexit.