In this interview, Ana Larissa Oliveira, Tímea Drinóczi and Monique Vieira Miranda discuss their Journal of Language and Politics article, Far-right discourse in Brazil: Shameless language as a common practice? They explain their key findings and how they hope to build on this work.
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash
This impolite, shameless language was used to appeal to specific segments of society and attract voters, while simultaneously slamming democratic institutions. The verbal aggression also served as a distraction, shifting attention away from important discussions about issues, like equality and human rights.
Why did you decide to write this piece?
The decision to write this piece stemmed from the growing pattern of verbal attacks, insults, and provocations aimed at perceived opponents and vulnerable groups, which have become characteristic features of authoritarian political discourse in various countries. There has been considerable research on this phenomenon in countries like Germany, Austria, Italy, Thailand, Hungary, and the US. Given the numerous verbal assaults on Brazil's Federal Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal, STF), through its Twitter/X account (@stf_oficial), we felt it was crucial to examine the Brazilian context. We focused on a critical period in Brazil's history: the year leading up to the 2022 presidential election between then-President Jair Bolsonaro and former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as well as the period before the violent events of January 8, 2023, when far-right groups attempted a coup in Brasília.
What are the key takeaways?
We discovered that Twitter users employed ‘bad language’ and promoted hashtags to discredit STF judges. One motivation for this behavior was to avoid blame in potential legal cases, such as investigations into the spread of fake news by the far-right. Another was to undermine the judges' credibility by disseminating false accusations and insults. Our findings revealed that the rhetoric used by Brazil’s far-right political leaders and their supporters was rife with "bad verbal manners". This impolite, shameless language was used to appeal to specific segments of society and attract voters, while simultaneously slamming democratic institutions. The verbal aggression also served as a distraction, shifting attention away from important discussions about issues, like equality and human rights. Ultimately, the most significant takeaway is that verbal aggression can be seen as a symptom of democratic decline.
Where do you plan to go next in your research?
We are now investigating how conflictual language is used to target vulnerable groups in different countries. Although the practice may have global similarities, regional and national traits emerge, with certain groups—such as members of the judiciary, women, immigrants, and the LGBTQIA+ community—being targeted more frequently in some contexts. While previous scholars have explored this tactic, we aim to add a new dimension by examining it through the lens of linguistic impoliteness, exploring how it contributes to the erosion of democracy and the restriction of rights over time. Specifically, we are studying the verbal attacks on women and LGBT+ individuals who have become elected officials or hold influential positions. By analyzing speeches from authoritarian leaders and their supporters, both online and offline, we seek to understand how these attacks are constructed and employed. Our goal is to advance the research on the role of social media platforms in both promoting and countering democratic erosion.
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