Suchergebnisse

The relation between political scientists and the media is fragile; from both sides opportunism can have a major influence. Both political scientists as well as politicians should thus reflect on the role both parties can and want to assume. The symposium presents 2 contributions coming from both sides, offering analysis and insight. The first article by Dave Sinardet discusses important aspects of the role political scientists can play in the media. He states that it is the responsibility of social scientists to participate in the public debate and to adjust form, style and use of language of the media in order to shape a public opinion. The second article by the editor of a Belgium newspaper incites political scientists to closer examine their wishes and aspirations regarding their role in the media. O. van Zijl

The framework of linguistic intergroup bias is used to understand the interplay language use & cognitive biases in political conflicts. The hypothesis that desirable ingroup & undesirable outgroup behaviors are described in more abstract terms than undesirable ingroup behavior & desirable outgroup behavior was tested using G. Semin & K. Fiedler's (1988) categorical linguistic model in two studies of political conflict. In the first, 123 subjects from two opposing social movements -- 63 from Coordination de Gesto por la Paz(Coordinated Action for Peace [CGP]) & 60 from Herri Batasuna (supporting Basque independence) -- described the behaviors of models pictured wearing either CGP or Basque independence symbols. In the second study, the descriptions of victim & aggressor in a nationalist & nonnationalist murder in editorials of two nationalist -- Elgin & Deia -- & two nonnationalist -- Diario Vasco & ABC -- newspapers were analyzed. In both cases, with ANOVAs & qualitative analysis, respectively, the hypothesis was confirmed. 4 Tables, 22 References. Adapted from the source document.