The role of language in advocacy: An SFL analysis of Hanan Ashrawi’s speech on Palestinian rights

Abstract

AbstractThe study aimed to examine the rhetorical and linguistic devices employed in one of Hanan Ashrawi’s speeches to support the Palestinian cause and promote her perspective. Based on the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) framework, this paper identified and analysed the thematic patterns in her speech qualitatively within the semiotic dimensions of text analysis, including contextual, semantic, and lexico-grammar features. The findings demonstrate the significance of rhetorical and linguistic devices in advocacy language, particularly in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The use of metaphors, repetition, parallelism, and nominalization is found to be particularly effective in enhancing the persuasiveness of advocacy language. Additionally, the findings reveal a clear connection between the thematic patterns identified in the speech and the dominant types of processes used, such as the Material process in discussing U.S. policy towards Israel and Palestine and the Mental process in discussing hope and resilience amidst the oppression and injustice practiced against the Palestinians.

Keywords

• SFL
• advocacy language
• Israeli-Palestinian conflict
• social change
• text analysis