The use of intertextuality by males and females in South African parliament

• Published in: Language matters (Pretoria, South Africa) Vol. 47; no. 2; pp. 166 - 183
• Main Authors: Ekanjume-Ilongo, Beatrice, Seepheephe, Nts'oeu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pretoria Routledge 03-05-2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: discourse; Discourse strategies; explicit; implicit; Intertextuality; parliament; Persuasion; Political discourse; Sex differences
• ISSN: 1022-8195; 1753-5395
• DOI: 10.1080/10228195.2016.1169310

This study is a comparative analysis of how males and female members of the South African parliament use intertextuality to persuade others of their point of view and rebut the points of their opponents during a debating session. The article shows that the MPs appeal through logos with the use of a high frequency of intertexts as a strategy of arguing; ethos with the use of intertexts that perform the rhetorical function of appealing; and pathos with the use of a wide range of sources and intertextual templates of others. The study reveals that there are no differences between the males and females in their use of implicit and explicit intertextualiy and that both groups exhibit a strong preference for explicit intertextuality. The article also shows that the two groups used horizontal intertextuality more frequently than vertical intertextuality; however, the gap between the two dimensions is very narrow.