The Definition and Typological Model of a Dogwhistle
Abstract A formal, speaker-based definition for the linguistic trope known as a ‘dogwhistle’ is provided. This definition is supported by an 11-part typological model for distinguishing dogwhistles from similar linguistic tropes (i.e., puns, innuendo, inside jokes) and other speech acts. The model i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidade Estadual de Campinas
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Manuscrito |
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| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-60452023005001202&lng=en&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1827908960530726912 |
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| author | Kimberly Witten |
| author_facet | Kimberly Witten |
| author_sort | Kimberly Witten |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract A formal, speaker-based definition for the linguistic trope known as a ‘dogwhistle’ is provided. This definition is supported by an 11-part typological model for distinguishing dogwhistles from similar linguistic tropes (i.e., puns, innuendo, inside jokes) and other speech acts. The model is applied to many data examples from a variety of sources. The model allows for data input, filtering against the criteria, and classification of the speech act as a dogwhistle or not. Additionally, the model can highlight how well the data example adheres to certain criteria. This informs interpretations about whether the speech act is a successfully constructed dogwhistle as well as provide possible reasons for failed dogwhistles. This analysis deepens our understanding of political and social discourse and the ways it can be manipulated for personal gains, resulting in new insight that helps dismantle strategic racism (Haney-López, 2014) and other threats to democracy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:30:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-17dd1913683e42d781b7e37bba0ee44f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2317-630X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:30:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Universidade Estadual de Campinas |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Manuscrito |
| spelling | doaj.art-17dd1913683e42d781b7e37bba0ee44f2023-07-04T07:45:35ZengUniversidade Estadual de CampinasManuscrito2317-630X2023-07-0110.1590/0100-6045.2023.v46n3.kwThe Definition and Typological Model of a DogwhistleKimberly Wittenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0823-8828Abstract A formal, speaker-based definition for the linguistic trope known as a ‘dogwhistle’ is provided. This definition is supported by an 11-part typological model for distinguishing dogwhistles from similar linguistic tropes (i.e., puns, innuendo, inside jokes) and other speech acts. The model is applied to many data examples from a variety of sources. The model allows for data input, filtering against the criteria, and classification of the speech act as a dogwhistle or not. Additionally, the model can highlight how well the data example adheres to certain criteria. This informs interpretations about whether the speech act is a successfully constructed dogwhistle as well as provide possible reasons for failed dogwhistles. This analysis deepens our understanding of political and social discourse and the ways it can be manipulated for personal gains, resulting in new insight that helps dismantle strategic racism (Haney-López, 2014) and other threats to democracy.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-60452023005001202&lng=en&tlng=enDiscourseDogwhistlesTropesRacismSociolinguistics |
| spellingShingle | Kimberly Witten The Definition and Typological Model of a Dogwhistle Manuscrito Discourse Dogwhistles Tropes Racism Sociolinguistics |
| title | The Definition and Typological Model of a Dogwhistle |
| title_full | The Definition and Typological Model of a Dogwhistle |
| title_fullStr | The Definition and Typological Model of a Dogwhistle |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Definition and Typological Model of a Dogwhistle |
| title_short | The Definition and Typological Model of a Dogwhistle |
| title_sort | definition and typological model of a dogwhistle |
| topic | Discourse Dogwhistles Tropes Racism Sociolinguistics |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-60452023005001202&lng=en&tlng=en |
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