THE ROLE OF CONNECTORS IN THE CO-CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY IMAGES: THE USE OF THE MAS IN ELECTORAL DEBATES

ABSTRACT: This study is part of a broader research whose purpose is to investigate whether the establishment of discourse relations and its marking through connectors have implications for the co-construction of identity images. Looking for additional evidence for this research and adopting contributions from the Modular Approach to Discourse Analysis, this paper studies the connector mas employed by candidates for public office in two electoral debates, one municipal and the other presidential. The objective is to verify to what extent mas, in signaling the discursive maneuvers performed by the candidates, is an important piece in the game through which they (de)construct identity images. Analysis revealed that the 55 occurrences of the connector signaled two groups of discursive maneuvers. By using the mas through which the candidate signals maneuvers of attack to the opponent (mas for hetero-attack), he tries to construct an unfavorable image of the other and a favorable one of himself. But by using the mas through which the candidate signals maneuvers in which he attacks himself (mas for self-attack), he tries to attribute to himself values such as humility and modesty, as well as anticipate future criticism from the adversary.

摘要：本研究隶属于一项综合性研究课题，该课题旨在探究话语关系的构建及其通过话语标记语进行标记的行为，是否会对身份形象的共同建构产生影响。为给此项研究补充实证依据，本文采用话语分析模块化方法（Modular Approach to Discourse Analysis）的相关研究成果，对两场选举辩论——一场市政选举辩论、一场总统选举辩论——中公职候选人所使用的话语标记语mas展开研究。本研究的目标在于验证：mas在标记候选人所实施的话语策略时，在其解构与建构身份形象的话语博弈中，是否扮演着重要角色。分析结果表明，55例mas标记语的使用可归为两类话语策略：当候选人借助mas标记针对对手的攻击策略（即异向攻击型mas，mas for hetero-attack）时，其意在塑造对手的负面形象与自身的正面形象；而当候选人借助mas标记自我攻击策略（即自我攻击型mas，mas for self-attack）时，其意图则是为自身赋予谦逊、低调等特质，同时提前预判对手未来可能发起的批评。