Discursive Construction of the Disabled’s Identity in News Discourse: A Case Study of People’s Daily

【Abstract】In China，most of the disabled mentioned in news reports are passive and negative. The vulnerable identity constructed in news fails to help the disabled to be accepted by the society， the disabled should be paid more attention and care.

【Key words】the Disabled; Identity Construction; Transitivity

【作者簡介】段慧敏（1990-），女，山東青島人，青島工學院外語學院，助教，碩士，研究方向：話語研究。

1. The importance of the disableds identity construction

Vulnerable group always lacks attention and takes fewer social resources， named the disadvantaged group. The disabled are often margined and discriminated by others， making them feel lonely and depressed. Now special attention has been paid to them.

2. Transitivity system and the disableds identity

The disabled used as an actor in the material process indicates that they are active and perform an action， while the disabled used as a goal demonstrates that they bear the action.

（1）中國政府高度重視殘疾人。

The government pays intensive attention to the disabled. （Material）

In this example， the disabled are used as goal while Chinese government is depicted as an actor. The newspaper stresses the efforts done by the government， while the disabled are the participant who accepts the governments help. Laying the disabled on the goal position constructs their vulnerable identity.

A small number of the disabled depicted as actors also has positive attitude under two kinds of circumstances.

（2）在黨和國家的關心重視下，在社會各界的幫助下，我國廣大殘疾人和殘疾人工作者積極投身改革開放偉大事業。

Under the care of the party and the government and the societys help， the disabled and the disabled workers actively devote themselves to the opening-up development. （Material）

In this material process， “the care of the party and government and the societys help” is the circumstantial element encoded the background against which the process takes place. This example shows that the disabled actively work for the countrys development， but there is a precondition for this situation， which is with the external influence and help. It stresses that the disabled need help and the importance of the governments guidance， which also constructs the vulnerable identity of the disabled.

（3）殘疾人是一個特別困難特別需要幫助的群體。

The disabled is a vulnerable group which needs help. （Relational）

In this example “the disabled” is token and “a vulnerable group which needs help” is value. Such kind of identifying relational process intensifies the disadvantage of the disabled and it suggests the writers view of the disabled.

（4）殘疾人是社會的弱勢群體。

The disabled is a vulnerable group in society. （Relational）

Most of the identifying relational processes identify the disabled as a vulnerable group or a group needing help. Some of these news reports are stating the facts， but they construct the vulnerable image of the disabled unconsciously. These news reports stress the disableds physical defects instead of treating them as normal human beings.

（5）辛占武誠懇地說：“只要有需要，只要一個電話，我老辛一定隨叫隨到。”

Xin Zhanwu says sincerely： “As long as you need my help， feel free to call me and I will arrive soon.” （Verbal）

In the above example， Xin Zhanwu once felt depressed when he was injured in an accident， but with the help of his family and the government， now he is a public servant. The speaker who himself is disabled is willing to help the other disabled people. The disabled can contribute to the society and help others， but first of all， they need the governments help.

As is described above， the news depicts the disabled as vulnerable and stresses their physical defects.The disabled do not have chances to speak for themselves or express their real opinion， so it is common that the disabled are depicted as vulnerable.

3. Summary

Among the six processes， material process enjoys the highest percentage， which is followed by relational process and verbal process. In the material process， the disabled are frequently treated as goal， and beneficiary but seldom as actor. As goal and beneficiary， the disabled are depicted as the one who needs help and support from others. The relational processes identified in the data focus on the physical defects of the disabled. In verbal process， seldom do the ordinary disabled have the right to speak for themselves. The verbal process in Peoples Daily seems to deprive the speech right of the ordinary disabled. The vulnerable identity of the disabled is constructed both by their current situation and by the way they are treated.

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