Graduation Term
2023
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
School of Communication
Committee Chair
Phillip Chidester
Abstract
Due to rampant political polarization in the United States this thesis investigated the role of language in perpetuating opposing ideologies. A critical rhetorical cluster analysis of Florida’s House Bill 1557, political rhetoric, and public discourse reveals the contemporary power of ultimate terms. Within the United States terms such as “parental rights” and “Don’t Say Gay” operate to further divisive discourses due to their simultaneous perceptions as god and devil terms. In the United States such buzzwords are associated with vastly different valences dependent on individual ideological value systems, which often correlate with one’s political affiliations. Existing scholarship on the ideograph was used to guide this study which uncovered current methods of ideological influence in today’s hyperpolarized sociopolitical landscape.
Access Type
Thesis-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Limbach, Shelby E., "Saying Way More than Gay: Polarized Adoption of Ultimate Terms in U.s. Legislation" (2023). Theses and Dissertations. 1683.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/1683
DOI
https://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2023.20230711063201877757.999968