How People Talk About Politics

How People Talk About Politics

During the Brexit referendum campaign it became clear how easily national conversations around politics could become raucous and bitter. This book explores the nature of talking about politically contentious issues and how our society can begin to develop a more constructive culture of political talk.

Uniquely, this study focuses on citizens own experiences and reflections on developing, practising and evaluating their own political voices. Based on seventy in-depth interviews with a diverse range of people, Stephen Coleman explores the intricate nature of interpersonal political talk and what this means for public attitudes towards politics and how people negotiate their political identities. Engaging with a broad range of subjects from Political Communication to Sociology this book offers valuable insight into how the public can discuss politically turbulent topics in a meaningful and constructive way.

Chapter 1 - Political talk as social practice
Chapter 2 - Biographical feelings
Chapter 3 - Performing the political genre
Chapter 4 - Taking positions on Brexit
Chapter 5 - Unintelligible subjects
Chapter 6 - We need to talk - but how?
Appendix - About the research method
Index

An exploration of the culture of political talk in Britain.