Revolutionary We-ness: Religious Discourse, Speech Acts, and Collective Identity in Pre-revolutionary Nicaragua

• In Event: 463 - Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 07. Ideology and Challenges to the State

Abstract

Building on language as action perspectives (Austin 1962; Searle 1969; and Vanderveken 1990), and recent social movement research on speech acts (Klimova 2009) we explore the role religious discourse plays on the maintenance of a collective identity we call revolutionary “we-ness.” Using NVivo qualitative data analysis software we perform a content analysis of The Gospel in Solentiname, Vol. 1(Cardenal 1976), a historical record of bible-study discussions in pre-revolutionary Nicaragua. Based on a framework of collective identity construction (boundary work, oppositional consciousness, identity assertion) into which a taxonomy of speech acts (accusations, declarations, directives, exhortations, prescriptions, and warnings) are organized, our content analysis illustrates how revolutionary we-ness is constituted, and how the recursive employment of speech acts suggests a resonance of ideological motives in religious discourse. We found the degree to which identity assertion, expressed in declarative speech acts, predominated over oppositional consciousness, which in turn figured over boundary work in the constitution of revolutionary we-ness. In general the article contributes to demonstrating the power of religious language use for revolution.

Authors

• Jean-Pierre Reed, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

• Sarah Pitcher, Southern Illinois University