Foreign policy discourses of the United States and Iran regarding the Syrian Civil War, 2011-2015 : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Politics at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
Loading...
Date
2019
DOI
Open Access Location
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Massey University
Rights
The Author
Abstract
This thesis offers a detailed and systemic analysis of the recent foreign policies on Syria
crafted by the United States and Iran. In particular, it identifies the major ways in which key
institutions from both countries’ political systems represent various aspects of the Syrian civil
war before comparing the similarities and differences among these representational practices.
It argues that, between 2011 and 2015, both countries’ foreign policies used humanitarian
concern in order to legitimise their respective postures on Syria, though the pursuit of their
respective national interests widened the scope for new opportunities to act, including the use
of armed force, in the Middle East. Drawing on Norman Fairclough’s model of Critical
Discourse Analysis as a means of framing its analysis, the thesis finds that diplomatic
language expressing views on matters of war and peace is seldom a-political and can be
shaped significantly by institutional practices and socio-cultural contexts.
Description
Keywords
Syria, History, Civil War, 2011-, United States, Iran, Foreign relations