Shaping Identity - A Study of the Construction of National Identity in Two Royal Speeches

Abstract: This study examines the construction of national identity in two speeches, held respectively by King Abdullah II of Jordan and King Mohammed VI of Morocco, during the height of the Arab Spring in 2011. These speeches were a response to public uprisings and contained numerous reforms, which may have been instrumental for the continued rule of the Jordanian and Moroccan regimes. Using theories on national identity rooted in linguistics and sociology, this thesis investigates if and how national identity was emphasised and linguistically constructed in these two speeches. Given the political situation in the countries and the entire Middle East at the time, the kings should have been eager to unite their people around a common goal, an exercise in which a strong national identity might play a crucial part. This study is of interest due to the numerous similarities these speeches and speechmakers share, including the countries they rule, the outcome of their speeches and personal similarities between the kings themselves. Through the analysis of the speeches, it became evident that both kings emphasised and linguistically constructed a national identity for their respective countries. However, this was done employing different means and arguably to various extents.