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Rhetorically defining a social institution: how leaders have framed same-sex marriage

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 11:11 authored by Grube, D, van Acker, E
Questions about the definition, meaning and limits of marriage have become a topic of fierce political debate in advanced Western democracies over the past decade as political leaders have sought to grapple with the issue of same-sex marriage. The rhetorical choices of leaders as they have made the case for or against moving away from traditional definitions of marriage have been central to shaping the national debate within different jurisdictions. This article applies the theoretical lens of ‘discursive institutionalism’ (Schmidt) and the analytical purchase of ‘rhetorical political analysis’ (Finlayson) to compare the rhetoric of Prime Minister David Cameron in the UK, Prime Minister Tony Abbott in Australia, and President Obama in the USA. We argue that Cameron and Obama have, in different ways, each sought to discursively re-define the institution of marriage by drawing on elements already endogenous to the institution itself.

History

Publication title

Australian Journal of Political Science

Volume

52

Pagination

183-198

ISSN

1036-1146

Department/School

College Office - College of Arts, Law and Education

Publisher

Routledge

Place of publication

Level 2, 11 Queens Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3004 Australia

Rights statement

Copyright 2016 Australian Political Studies Association

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Government and politics not elsewhere classified

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