Kumaran Rajandran Knihy

This volume presents studies on legitimation and its manifestations in language use, focusing on sociopolitical aspects in Malaysian political discourse from 2008 to 2020. Legitimation is crucial in political discourse, making the work relevant to scholars and the general public. While a single definition is elusive, legitimation is often described as the justification of norms, beliefs, or actions by those in power or claiming authority. It is a core concept in social sciences, particularly in theories of political governance, authority, and order. Drawing on Weber's conceptualization of legitimacy, the studies explore various dimensions of legitimation, including attitudinal (belief in the legitimacy of an order) and behavioral (compliance with that order) aspects. Communication plays a vital role in these processes, as highlighted in theories of democracy that view political communication and legitimacy as interdependent. If legitimacy is primarily conveyed through communication, language becomes essential for analyzing legitimation processes. This intersection of political science and linguistics invites a cross-disciplinary perspective on legitimation as a "political-linguistic concept," emphasizing the importance of language in understanding political discourse.