Chapter 1
Te discourses of the Greek crisis
Ourania Hatzidaki and Dionysis Goutsos
Hellenic Air Force Academy / National and Kapodistrian University
of Athens
Te introduction to the volume ofers an overview of existing research on the
discourse pertaining to the Greek crisis and relates this to the papers includ-
ed in it. It is suggested that previous works have mainly focused on how the
Greek crisis has been communicated by the mass media, and viewed from
abroad. By contrast, this volume looks at how the Greeks themselves construe
their own predicament, investigating a rich diversity of local voices, elite,
non-elite and resistance. Methodologically, contrary to extant research, which
principally draws on the results of content analysis, this volume concentrates
on the mechanics of Greek crisis rhetoric. To this end, papers combine a
sizeable array of corpus linguistics and critical discourse analysis techniques,
employed in multifarious ways so as to provide nuanced analyses of Greek
crisis discourses.
Keywords: content analysis, corpus linguistics, critical discourse analysis,
Greek crisis
1. General remarks
Since its onset in 2009, the Greek crisis has triggered a veritable explosion in the
production of discourses concerning its causes, efects and management. Endless
negotiations, copious ofcial documentation, vast amounts of public announce-
ments and commentary by stakeholders or observers and critics (politicians, ex-
perts etc.), a steady fow of scholarly analyses of its economic/fnancial, political
and social aspects, phenomenally intense media coverage, a massive outpouring
of social media and face-to-face discourse on the issue. In Greece itself the daily
experience of every citizen has involved a constant exposure to and participation
in crisis text and talk. Tis comes either as input from the media and public insti-
tutions or as private and informal exchanges, physical or digital.
doi 10.1075/dapsac.70.01hat
© 2017 John Benjamins Publishing Company
jbid180333 IP: 2.84.185.83 On: Thu, 20 Jul 2017 13:45:08