Argumentation and Persuasion in Saudi TEDx Talks: A Political Discourse Analysis Approach

Abstract

TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) is a platform for individuals to persuade a wider audience with their ideas. While several studies have investigated the persuasive elements of TEDx talks in different languages, the research on persuasion in Arabic TEDx talks is scarce. This dissertation integrates argumentation theory, framing theory, and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), using the Political Discourse Analysis (PDA) approach (I. Fairclough and N. Fairclough, 2011, 2012) on ten Saudi TEDx talks. The analysis is supported by an open-ended questionnaire that explores the audience’s perception of persuasion in these talks. This study strengthens the PDA model by including Aristotelian approaches to rhetoric (epideictic and forensic rhetoric; logos, ethos, and pathos), adapting the critical questions to focus more on the ‘rational acceptability’ rather than on ‘truth’, and analysing how other rhetorical strategies are used to frame arguments. This is complemented by audience evaluations, which provide additional evidence for analyses. Together, this provides an in-depth and less subjective analysis of how language in persuasive discourse shapes and is shaped by ideological assumptions and power relations. The findings reveal that speakers in Saudi TEDx talks exert power of persuasion by sharing personal stories to convince the audience of the logicality of their argument. These stories shape and are shaped by ideological assumptions that align with Saudi social norms, such as the importance of family, passion, success, God, perseverance, objectivity, and career, which are overtly expressed. However, ideologies that contradict prevailing social norms, such as prioritising skills over formal education, are conveyed in a more implicit manner. Moreover, the study suggests that the speakers also promote ideologies of personal development and making a change in the world, which are consistent with the aims of Saudi 2030 Vision, which seeks to empower individuals and promote a sense of entrepreneurship and innovation.