Identity work in conservative political discourse: a cross-cultural comparison

This article presents the findings of a cross-cultural study of identity positioning in the political discourse of religious, conservative politicians in Italy and Northern Ireland. Findings point to the use of frames of reference around family, faith, freedom and societal catastrophe. These frames were though amplified through use of self-narratives of suffering in defence of beliefs and traditions. A key driver of the identity positioning work was therefore ‘stake inoculation’. That is the use of cues to defend against accusations of bigotry. This move in English is largely ‘defensive', whereas in Italian it involves a more combative strategy of ‘othering’.