National Identity and Security in Contemporary Japanese Media Discourse: Images of North Korea

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F26482789%3A_____%2F16%3AN0000056" target="_blank" >RIV/26482789:_____/16:N0000056 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="http://www.politickevedy" target="_blank" >http://www.politickevedy</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

National Identity and Security in Contemporary Japanese Media Discourse: Images of North Korea

Original language description

The paper presents an analysis of the portrayal of North Korea in the contemporary discourse of the two largest Japanese newspapers: the conservative Yomiuri Shimbun and the more left-wing oriented Asahi Shimbun. Analysed patterns and discursive practices in the two major national media outlets attempt to construct a certain notion of national identity, albeit through the use of different means and key ideas. Drawing on a post-structuralist understanding of language and discourse and theory of national identity based on the relational dichotomy between Self and Other, this study attempts to explain the construction of national identity in Japanese print media discourse, demonstrating the link between linguistic and societal practices. While Japan is portrayed as organised, democratic, rational and cooperative, North Korea is associated with discursive practices evoking irrationality, unpredictability and danger, often conveniently represented directly by Kim Jong-un. The newspapers tend to either stress the hard security aspect of the current status quo or emphasise harsh criticism of North Korea while simultaneously posing Japan as a victim. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the Self as well as the Other are rather fluid and context dependent. Given the link between Japanese politics and media, outlets with a high level of trustworthiness and credibility may significantly influence the readers’ perception of their own identity and security. Ultimately, this raises questions about the possibility of the country’s normalisation of its foreign and security policies.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50601 - Political science

Project

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Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2016

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Politické Vedy

ISSN

1335-2741

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

19

Issue of the periodical within the volume

4

Country of publishing house

SK - SLOVAKIA

Number of pages

29

Pages from-to

8-35

UT code for WoS article

000409211800001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

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