History in Action: The Construction of Historical Analogies in Televised Debates Concerning the Iraq War

摘要: Recent work has emphasised the centrality of warfare, and particularly World War II, to people’s social representations history. However, much this treated history as relatively static abstract constructs, even when theoretical approaches subject have narrative, conversation contestation, methodological techniques used study tended re-introduce a more conceptualization representations. In present article, I adopt position informed by discursive rhetorical psychologies in order argue that should be studied context their use, with particular attention being paid actions people are performing they represent This is illustrated using data from series televised debates broadcast UK during build-up formal declaration war Iraq 2003, focus on ways which historical analogies were constructed course arguments concerning whether or not military action against was legal, appropriate justified.