Dueling discourses : the construction of reality in closing arguments / Laura Felton Rosulek.

Dueling discourses : the construction of reality in closing arguments / Laura Felton Rosulek.

Oxford : Oxford University Press, [2015]

ix, 235 pages ; 25 cm.

Oxford studies in language and law.

"Dueling Discourses offers qualitative and quantitative analyses of the linguistic and discursive forms utilized by opposing lawyers in their closing arguments during criminal trials. Laura Felton Rosulek analyzes how these arguments construct contrasting representations of the same realities, applying the insights and methodologies of critical discourse analysis and systemic functional linguistics to a corpus of arguments from seventeen trials. Her analysis suggests that silencing (omitting relevant information), de-emphasizing (giving information comparatively less attention and focus), and emphasizing (giving information comparatively more attention and focus) are the key communicative devices that lawyers rely on to create their summations. Through these processes, lawyers' lexical, syntactic, thematic, and discursive patterns, both within individual narratives and across whole arguments, function together to create versions of reality that reflect each individual lawyer's goals and biases." -- Book jacket and publisher's website.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 217-231) and index.

STA

KF8924 .F45 2015

English

9780199337613 hardcover alkaline paper
0199337616 hardcover alkaline paper
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0199337624 ebook