Discourse Analysis of Joe Biden’s First Speech as the Winner of the American Presidential Election

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Introduction

Discourse Analysis (DA) is one of the areas of linguistics that analyzes the proper understanding of language and its context in our real social life, both written or oral. The unique parts of discourse analysis were its types of different languages, the rules of culture, the political context of history, social comprehension, and the significance of the language people use when communicating with others. Brian David Hodges, Ayelet Kuper, and Scott Reeves have argued that discourse analysis is about how we can learn and analyze the use of language according to its meaning and case. When analyzing discourse, we can use the study of the social language context, both written or oral.

Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is required to explain the application of discourse analysis. According to Norman Fairclough, language is used as a method of social practice.

‘I referred above to the tradition in critical social science of understanding social reality as ‘conceptually mediated,’ so that the ‘objects’ of critical social analysis are both material and semiotic in character. This means that the dialectical relationship between the subject and the semiotic is a necessary concern in both normative and explanatory criticism’ (Fairclough 2013: part 1 p.10 )

Fairclough argued that CDA is a transdisciplinary study and should have a transdisciplinary methodology. He uses the word ‘methodology’ rather than ‘method’ because the methodology is a construction process, while the analysis is not just a pre-established approach. He believed that any case of language was a communicative occurrence and that CDA as part of critical sociological phenomena. CDA is used to analyze the social errors of political discourse in political speech. To better understand the use of the CDA, the analysis of Joe Biden’s first speech as the winner of the American Presidential Election defeating Donald Trump which then contains political language to influence the audience to follow the flow of his leadership will be presented in the analysis.

Theoretical framework

This paper refers to the analytical theory of critical discourse. Norman Fairclough (2013) has developed a critical discourse analysis (CDA) model called ‘dimensions’. Fairclough develops its dimensions into three stages. The first dimension is analysis at the word level and he calls it ‘text (writing, speech, pictures, videos, etc.’. He considers discourse (language) as a community and we can choose words for the subject including taking a good attitude in choosing Fairclough presents the second dimension of ‘discursive practice’ as an analysis at the text level including the production of a constitutional text. He argues that word composition is important, is usually not neutral and presents the values and attitudes of the speakers. Third and finally ‘social practice’ influencing social structures that contain standardization of society or organization. He calls it analysis at the level of norms. Fairclough imagines social relations, the strength of our community (the whole organization), and socio-culture are the results of language construction.

The CDA theoretical framework is considered appropriate because this study seeks to establish how Joe Biden’s power, ideology, context control, and mind control were manifested through the various language choices he made during his first speech as president-elect of the United States.

Methodology

Hsieh and Shannon (2005: 1278) say that ‘ The research method is presented to interpret the subject according to context through a systematic classification process as well as data coding as well as identifying themes and patterns.’. In terms of analyzing the data presented, it is important to use a qualitative approach beside critical discourse analysis in analyzing research because the source lies in political speeches. The data is in the form of speech texts obtained from the internet, https://www.cnbc.com/2020 /11/07/read-joe-biden-acceptance-speech-full-text.html as a research source. The text of this speech Time to Heal America after was delivered by President Joe Biden in his first speech winning the American Elect (2020). The use of the JB code for Joe Biden is to make it easier for readers to make references. These data were scrutinized critically to identify various linguistic (lexical – grammatical) items in Joe Biden’s first speech as an American elect.

Sppech analysis

Based on Norman Fairclough’s theory of the ‘dimensions’ of CDA. Joe Biden’s speech was to celebrate his victory and also to illustrate his vision for America’s future. He began his speech with words of gratitude and went on to mention the idea of the United States. JB used polite language from the beginning to the end of his speech. He thanked those who voted for him and those who continue to support him (democratic people, his supporters). JB carefully chooses his vocabulary in a polite way like ‘we, people, nation, America’ he continues to speak in the same way to make people think he’s on their side, that JB is one of the Americans and all the same but still doing his job as president of America. In addition, he uses peaceful words such as ‘change, decision, choice, cooperates, possibility, restores, rebuilds, etc.’. In addition, JB uses many phrases, clauses, and metaphors to deliberately bring his vision to life and build people’s trust and confidence so that they can see how he can refresh the United States. The evidence of this statement was in his speech and some of it was there.

‘… Who doesn’t see Red and Blue states, but a United States.

And who will work with all my heart to win the confidence of the whole people.

For that is what America is about: The people.

And that is what our Administration will be about.

I sought this office to restore the soul of America.

To rebuild the backbone of the nation  the middle class.

To make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.& ‘ (Joe Biden, 2020)

Refusing to forget family support, he spoke of his wife, children, grandchildren as well as those who did not choose him. ‘… let’s give each other a chance…they are not enemies, they are Americans’. (Joe Biden,2020) JB called a pandemic as his priority because it is a virus that makes people panic and worry, for the sake of our future, we must do it immediately. She built people’s trust that she felt the same way as those who had lost their loved ones. JB took this opportunity to get his opponents to come to his side and for those who were already on his side, it could be for him and America that he could be a great president who saw no difference between his people but the Americans who took part. God bless, ‘ I believe it is this: Americans have called on us to marshal the forces of decency and the forces of fairness. To marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope in the great battles of our time.’ (Joe Biden, 2020)

Furthermore, he repetitive the grammatical elements expressed to arouse the audience’s emotions so that they become more excited and believe what JB said, ‘I owe you, I owe you, I owe you; They are Americans, they are Americans; thank you, thank you, thank you’.(Joe Biden, 2020) Finally, it can be concluded that Joe Biden used the CDA as an opportunity to streamline his political affairs, gain more power, power, and social relations with the American people (whether they were on his side or not) so that they were willing to follow his leadership system.

Conclusion

Joe Biden (JB) delivers his political speech using political language to speak to his audience and build public trust and confidence about how well he can bring America to glory as U.S.A president. Joe Biden presents his first speech with polite language and full of gratitude from the beginning until the end. He used CDA as a tool to support his leadership system in America and bring public opinion to become his strength

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