Discourse about refugees as a symptom of solidarity crisis Cover Image

Dyskurs o uchodźcach jako symptom kryzysu solidarności
Discourse about refugees as a symptom of solidarity crisis

Author(s): Tomasz Wrzosek
Subject(s): Ethics / Practical Philosophy, Sociology, Social differentiation, Migration Studies, Ethnic Minorities Studies
Published by: Wydawnictwo Wyższej Szkoły Gospodarki Euroregionalnej im. Alcide De Gasperi w Józefowie
Keywords: public discourse; discourse analysis; migrants; refugees solidarity; islamophobia;

Summary/Abstract: This paper concerns a Polish public discourse about migrants and refugees. The author describes specific features of the discourse and tries to show strategies of argumentation and rhetoric used by politicians and journalists in order to justify opposition to the acceptance of refugees. The current study was carried out using research tools taken from discourse analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis. The research materials were texts published on the rightist websites: niezależna.pl, myśl24.pl, wpolityce.pl, and fronda.pl. On the basis of the texts analysis the author concludes that despite the great diversity, discursive strategies have in principle two main goals, hence can be divided into two groups. The first group comprises strategies that are based on the fear. Migrants that come from different cultures are believed to pose various types of threats which size and nature depend only on the author’s imagination and the examples that it feeds on. The second group contains strategies concerning moral issues. They are built on the conviction that obligation to help those in need and to solidarize with them is not universal and unconditional.

  • Issue Year: 28/2016
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 411-430
  • Page Count: 20
  • Language: Polish