Synthetic personalization and the legitimization of the Crimean annexation: A discourse analysis of Vladimir Putin’s March 2014 presidential address

Abstract

This article proposes the analysis of synthetic personalization as a new approach in studying and understanding the legitimization of the Crimean annexation. Drawing upon Norman Fairclough, synthetic personalization is a discursive strategy that identifies how aspects of language, which are regarded as commonsensical and normal, have ideological power, as they can become manipulative and controlling. The application of synthetic personalization to the March 2014 address of Russian President Vladimir Putin draws the audience’s attention to traits that unify the masses and thus stimulate their individual features, in particular by relying on presuppositions. The article argues that the address legitimized the annexation of Crimea by framing the annexation as a result of a religious, military, and heterogeneous unity, which unified Crimea and Russia. The findings also question the impact of the one-sided production process and who is the actual producer of the address.

‘Repetition without change?’: A critical discourse analysis of selected ZANU-PF advertisements for the July 2013 and July 2018 elections

“…They violate our Christian values, and community beliefs. Discursive co-optation Staging previous opponents as partners (Filipescu, 2022).…”

“…We also examine how proximisation was used to create distance between Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF on one hand and Chamisa, on the other hand. In addition to the above strategies, we examine whether, and how, ZANU-PF deployed the following legitimation strategies: fear, hypothetical future, altruism, mythical authorisation, personal authorisation, normative appeal, moral analogism and discursive co-optation (see Filipescu, 2022; Glozer et al, 2019; Reyes, 2011; Roberts, 2019; Van Leeuwen, 2007). Finally, we also examine how ZANU-PF used persuasive moves such as choice of words and ‘structural emphasis .…”

“…The first of these strategies is synthetic personalisation. By synthetic personalisation, we refer to Fairclough’s (2001) definition, which is precisely summed up by Filipescu (2022) in this journal, to mean, ‘a discursive strategy that identifies how aspects of language which are regarded as commonsensical and normal, have ideological power, as they can become manipulative and controlling’ (p. 1). Synthetic personalisation as a discourse strategy framed ZANU-PF’s hegemony and rule in Zimbabwe as quintessential to undisputed political and economic success.…”

“…. .relying on ideologies that appear to be most common and are shared by most participants’ (Filipescu, 2022: 4). The strategy helps create personal interaction between the producer of the discourse and the intended audience.…”

“…Thus, by saying, ‘a party that safeguards the liberation struggle values’ , and by saying, ‘Don’t let them take you for a ride’ ZANU-PF is relying on presuppositions. What these political advertisements do in this instance is to create a link between the party and its voters, based on the liberation struggle and use this link as, ‘an element to produce a point of commonality for the indeterminate audience’ (Filipescu, 2022: 7).…”