Discursive and lexicometric analysis of rebelliousness in the Spanish press

Abstract

The interest of this article is to explore the different meanings that rebellion can acquire, as well as the language associated with it through discourses in the Spanish press. To accomplish this, rebelliousness is proposed as an object of discourse that establishes a domain which becomes it recognizable in the plurality of areas in which it can emerge. Methodologically, qualitative and quantitative techniques have been combined, applying a discursive and lexicometric analysis on a significant sample obtained from four Spanish newspapers. From it, the different surfaces of discourse in which rebelliousness emerges are described in relation to different social realities, identifying its domain through the interrelation between subject, action and power relations. Across this interrelation it is deepened, resorting to categorization based on the words’ frequency of use, in the construction of what has been called rebel language.