The Korean Association for the Study of English Language and Linguistics

Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics - Vol. 21
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Korea Journal of English Language and Linguistics - Vol. 21, No. 0, pp. 1246-1258
Abbreviation: KASELL
ISSN: 1598-1398 (Print) 2586-7474 (Online)
Received 04 Nov 2021 Revised 15 Dec 2021 Accepted 27 Dec 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15738/kjell.21..202112.1246

Discursive Classification and Evaluation in Courtroom Discourse
Krisda Chaemsaithong ; Yoonjeong Kim
(1st author) Professor, Department of English, Hanyang University (krisda@hanyang.ac.kr)
(corresponding author) Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English, Hanyang University


© 2021 KASELL All rights reserved
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract

This study examines the ways in which discursive classification constitutes the prime mechanism that aids in the creation of opposing representations of the individual on trial. Attending to the opening speech of a high-profile trial, the analysis identifies various social categories that are legally speaking irrelevant to the determination of guilt, and argues that, contrary to popular belief, what is being contested is not evidence or legal principles, but it is different social types and their associated normative expectations that are orchestrated to frame logical inconsistencies and assign blameworthiness to the defendant in the first place.

Keywords: classification, evaluation, courtroom, identity, membership category analysis
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