Using Language as a Weapon: Verbal Manifestations of Contemporary Anti-Semitism
Using Language as a Weapon: Verbal Manifestations of Contemporary Anti-Semitism
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使用语言作为武器:当代反犹太主义的口头表现
DOI:
10.1057/9781137478382_6
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发表时间:
2015
期刊:
影响因子:
--
通讯作者:
Schwarz-Friesel
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
Schwarz-Friesel
162 The Exercise of Power in Communication to social discrimination of Jews in society (Low 1979, Poliakov 1985, Laqueur 2006). Moreover, it has been articulated through manifold utterances that stigmatize and abuse Jews (Hortzitz 2005). Verbal anti-Semitism is a form of language use that (re) produces prejudice against Jews and keeps Judaeophobic antipathy alive: verbal anti-Semitism, in this respect, is a form of mental violence against Jews by using language in order to discriminate against and to offend them. A distorted negative picture of Jews is made up that has nothing to do with facts. The concept of a collective and universal enemy is established, or rather constructed. Basically, anti-Semitism is conceptually based on (very old) stereotypes that are communicated mainly through the means of language. In fact, language does play a crucial role in activating and reactivating Judaeophobic antipathy, since verbal constructions not only construct conceptualizations of Jews as strange and evil creatures outside normal society, but they also continually reproduce them by the repetitive use of certain linguistic patterns. Prejudice against Jews has been preserved historically down the ages, and by the means of language transported to modern discourse without reflecting on the consequences. Medieval motifs show up when Jews are described and demonized as brutes (Unmenschen), devils (Teufel) and fiends or monsters (Unholde); they are characterized as greedy Shylocks or profiteers (geldgierige Wucherer), sly conspirators (hinterhältige Verschwörer) and vengeful beneficiaries (rachsüchtige Nutznießer), and hence are morally devalued. Calling them strange (fremd), arrogant, stubborn (halsstarrig) and different (anders) means discriminating them as a minority that stands opposite to the majority considered ‘normal’. Describing Judaism with lexemes such as historical atavism (historischer Atavismus), strange and brutal ritual (brutal, seltsam), denying the only true faith of Christianity (den wahren Glauben negierend) goes hand in hand with delegitimizing it as a religion. Thus, hostility against Jews can be regarded as the oldest hatred in the world (Wistrich 1991, 2010). The continuous reception of such cliché-ridden utterances may lead to the conscious or unconscious activation and permanent storage of mental models in memory in which Jews fill the slot of the enemy (Befu 1999). The whole world view of a person can be influenced by such anti-Semitic belief systems. The semantics of Jew hatred can be as lethal as physical violence.Very often, however, critical reflection of the power of verbal anti-Semitism is lacking. Anti-Semitism is on the rise today: verbal abuse and discrimination of Jews not only show up within right-wing circles, but also in the mainstream of society (Schwarz-Friesel 2010). This has
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影响因子:
1.4
作者:
D. Bolinger
通讯作者:
D. Bolinger
DOI:
10.14361/9783839405659-006
发表时间:
2007
期刊:
Verletzende Worte
影响因子:
--
作者:
Margret Wintermantel;C. Graumann
通讯作者:
C. Graumann
DOI:
10.5860/choice.48-1627
发表时间:
2009
期刊:
Verletzende Worte
影响因子:
--
作者:
R. Wistrich
通讯作者:
R. Wistrich
DOI:
10.4324/9780203727249
发表时间:
2012
期刊:
Verletzende Worte
影响因子:
--
作者:
R. Wistrich
通讯作者:
R. Wistrich
影响因子:
1.1
作者:
M. Schwarz
通讯作者:
M. Schwarz