Abstract
Sudan, the largest country in Africa until the secession of South Sudan in 2011, has been plagued by civil wars since its independence in 1956. These wars have been driven by ethnic and religious divisions, marginalization and unequal development, authoritarian rule and political instability, among other reasons. A major culprit fueling these conflicts, however, is a broad spectrum of discourse, ranging from conversational derogatory terms and verbal slurs to written texts. Despite their various categorizations and different delivery channels, these discourses culminate in the same outcome of marginalizing and demeaning “the other”. This paper cites examples from the folklore and literatures of the Sudan. It analyzes the significance of these discourses and explains how they fuel divisions in the country by deepening ethnic, religious, and regional rifts. While reinforcing stereotypes, the inflammatory rhetorics, it is argued, justifies the exclusion and aggression of the “other”. Consequently, this has weakened the national identity and hindered the efforts for a stable, inclusive governance. Finally, the study addresses the arduous task of countering demeaning discourse and bridging divides to create a cohesive, peaceful state.
Presenters
Yousif ElhindiProfessor of English, Linguistics Minor Director, Department of Literature and Language, East Tennessee State University, Tennessee, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Communications and Linguistic Studies
KEYWORDS
Discourse Analysis, Derogatory Discourse, Sudanese Conflict
