POLITICAL IDEOLOGICAL DISCOURSE AND POLITICAL IDEOLOGICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS IN UGANDA.

There can be as many discourses as there are dimensions of the human brain Like in any country on Earth, there are many discourses in Uganda. They include academic discourse, intellectual discourse, political discourse, educational discourse, Artificial Intelligence discourse, social discourse, economic discourse, cultural discourse, scientific discourse, public discourse and ideological discourse et. cetera.

Discourse is a long serious treatment or discussion of a subject or topic in a speech, talk or writing. It might be a discourse on one of the diverse issues confronting humanity such as the issues of human rights, democracy, freedom, justice, militarisation, food security, environment, economy, refugees, corruption, science, executive powers, legislation, population growth, terrorism, et cetera. It might be a cultural discourse or political discourse or an academic discourse, intellectual discourse, educational discourse, environmental discourse, ecological discourse, ideological discourse, or public discourse.

Blommaert (2005) gives a critical introduction to Discourse. Actually, we need both discourse and ideology.  Maatta (2014) explains why we need both. It is, however, best if the discourses involve sufficient criticism rather than being presented as a rosy picture of what the situation regarding an issue is. We can then explore criticality in each of them and even carry out a criticality analysis on each of them. If it is an ecological discourse we can talk of ecocriticism when it contains adequate criticism.  Discourse often involves power dynamics, influencing beliefs, opinions, and decisions.

In this article I want to focus on ideological discourse. Let me start by proposing a working definition this way:

“Ideological discourse is a way of communicating that’s based on shared beliefs and values, and is often polarized between groups. It can influence how people understand the world, and how they interact with each other”.

Any group desiring to have an identity separate from other identities of other groups must have a binding ideology. However, some groups seek to enforce their ideologies on others, often to wield power, influence and domination over them. Such groups want ideas to start with them and end with them. They are very satisfied if they can render the ideologies of other groups irrelevant and/or ineffective. This often requires putting in place an effective indoctrination system, which involves narrowing the brains of others, almost to the point of erasing their independent and critical thinking, instructing the ideological victims in the ideologies of the dominant group, and owning them ideologically. When this happens, the ideological victims are actually ideological prisoners, unable to see alternatives to the ideologies they are being forced to worship, almost in a conditioned way. This is what happens when you cannot think independently and critically anymore, however educated you are. You even begin to divinise the innovator of the ideology or ideologies.

Many times, nations fail or collapse because governors adopt or enforce wrong ideologies, which are just for power and power retention. Right ideologies, which are people and community survival ideologies, are actively resisted in order to ensure total domination of the vulnerable people and communities.

So far I have written as if we all know what an ideology is. Let me try to define ideology as simply as possible.

A dictionary definition of the word ideology is “a system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy”. An ideology may also be defined as “A set of beliefs or philosophies attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely about belief”.

Different Ideologies

Many people think ideology is only political but this is not true. If we can recognise different types of discourses, then there can be as many ideologies as there are those discourses. Accordingly, we can have a political ideology, a social ideology, an economic ideology, an academic ideology, an ecological ideology, an environmental ideology, a public ideology, a scientific ideology, a technological ideology, an intellectual ideology, an artificial intelligence (AI) ideology, et. cetera.

Different Ideological Discourses

Different ideologies entail different ideological discourses. So, then we can have types of ideological discourse, namely: political ideological discourse, social ideological discourse, economic ideological discourse, academic ideological discourse, ecological ideological discourse, environmental ideological discourse, public ideological discourse, scientific ideological discourse, technological ideological discourse, intellectual ideological discourse and AI ideological discourse.

Defining Some Ideological Discourses

Let me define some of the ideological discourses I have mentioned.

1. Political ideological discourse is the communication of political ideas and events, which is shaped by political ideologies. It involves the use of language and communication practices to express and evaluate political systems.
2. Social ideological discourse is the expression of ideologies through social practices and discourse. It’s a way for groups to share their beliefs, values, and goals, and to organize their actions and interactions.
3. Economic discourse analysis is the study of how economic language is used to express ideas about the economy. It’s a way to analyze the social context of economic language and how it’s used to convey meaning
4. Academic ideological discourse is the study of how beliefs and values are expressed through language and discourse. It’s a common practice in the social sciences and humanities.
5. Environmental ideological discourse is the study of how language and communication shape people’s understanding of the environment and influence environmental policies. It also examines how environmental ideologies influence people’s attitudes and behaviours towards the environment.
6. Scientific ideological discourse is the discourse that precedes the establishment of a new science. It’s a set of ideas and values that help determine what is considered scientific news and who is considered an authority on scientific matters.
7. Technological ideological discourse is a way of using ideology to evaluate technology and its impact on society. It can also refer to the body of knowledge about technology and its influence on reality.

The ideology of AI is the logic of the idea that the value of desire resides exclusively with its fulfilment. exploring the concept of narratives and how these are impacted by the progress towards an AI-driven.

Ideological Discourse and Ideological Discourse Analysis in Uganda

Discourse analysis of political discourse seeks to understand how language is used to construct political realities, influence public opinion, shape identities and exercise power.

Here, however, I am interested, not in political discourse or political discourse analysis, but in political ideological discourse and political ideological discourse analysis in Uganda.

Generally, ideological discourse in Uganda is narrowly perceived as political-ideological discourse, reflecting the failure to recognise, clarify and articulate the different ideologies that exist, or should exist, in the country. Because of this, everything is conceived and pursued in political terms only. Even then criticality in the political discourse is too low to be meaningful.

Besides, critical political discourse analysis is hard to come by. This seems to be because of the fact that the political discourse in the country is the captivity of the political discourse in the country by President Tibuhaburwa Museveni and his Party, the National Resistance Movement. (NRM). The political discourse is fear packed and characterised by exclusionism and disablement of the alternative political forces in the country to ensure power retention almost perpetually. Academics and intellectuals who are expected to carry out a criticality analysis of the political discourse in the country, are more interested in pursuing higher academic qualifications, career development and connecting with people of similar academic minds in other universities in the world in pursuit of academic standards of excellence. Almost certainly after 39 years of NRM-type ideologization in the country, we lack credible political ideological discourse analysis. We are advancing as if NRM ideologization is the only correct one and an alternative is not necessary.

Therefore, a lot of ignorance reigns on the political-ideological discourse desired by the rulers, is not properly documented. There is, however, a book ny UBUY titled “Analyzing Political Discourse: Theory and Practice – A Comprehensive Study of Language in Politics” Nevertheless, it does not adequately address the analysis of political ideological discourse.

There is need to rethink not only political discourse and political discourse analysis but also political ideological discourse and political ideological discourse analysis. The status quo gives the impression that there is nothing wrong with the ideology or ideologies of the NRM. This is breeding arrogance in politics and governance of the country, with the rulers almost divinising themselves, pursuing entitlement based on their rebellion in the bushes of Luwero, designing instruments to entrench exclusionism from power and resources and creating different categories of citizens in the country. In this status quo the indigenous Ugandans are the inferior citizens who should be continually hoodwinked by projects and programmes ostensibly to pull them out of poverty, but the experience so far is that they push them further down the abyss of poverty.

We need independent, free-thinking, critical scholars to delve into the Political Ideological Discourse of the NRM and analyse, clarify and articulate it for all Ugandans to understand and know where we are headed with the perennial rule of the people from the bushes of Luwero. Criticality of the NRM’s political ideological discourse is critical and cannot be postponed any further. But where are those independent, free-thinking critical scholars on our more than 50 university campuses who can research without fear or favour?

For God and My Country

Further Reading

UBUY (2003).  Analyzing Political Discourse: Theory and Practice – A Comprehensive Study of Language in Politics Routledge; 1st edition (December 11, 2003). https://www.ubuy.ug/en/product/7MVUUZZP2-analysing-political-discourse-theory-and-practice-1st edition?srsltid=AfmBOor5CUY7XbRSDParLr_Lb0Hw25WJObyIbYGic6X49wQDDMw9Llk_Visited on 20 January 2025 at 16:51 pm EAT