Why Do Politicians Shift? A GenderBased Study of I and We in Joint Political Press Conferences

Abstract

Why Do Politicians Shift? A Gender-Based Study of I and We in Joint Political Press Conferences In joint political press conferences, politicians use language to realize different functions and political goals. One important language aspect that is used functionally in joint political press conferences is personal pronouns. Using Goffman's (1981) concepts of participation framework and footing, the present study investigates the similarities and/or differences between male and female politicians in changing footing by shifting from I to we and vice versa in joint political press conferences. It also examines the reasons for making these shifts. Results indicate that male and female politicians shift between I and we the same number of times in the speech sessions. However, in the question-answer sessions, male politicians shift between these two pronouns more than their female counterparts. Results also show that male and female politicians shift from I to we and vice versa for various reasons such as talking about achievements and stating opinions in the speech sessions, and expressing a stance and shedding light on future acts or hopes in the question-answer sessions. Some of the reasons for making the pronominal shifts in question are common between male and female politicians while others are not. By alternating between I and we, male and female politicians alternate between their individual and institutional identities.