Apologies by Brazilian politicians: A view from linguistic pragmatics

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze 20 statements of apology from Brazilian politicians, published between 2010 and 2021, to identify the linguistic elements that characterize them. Our hypothesis was that stance taking, as well as the use of politeness strategies contributed to the  felicity condition of the apologies, potentially serving as resources that promote the moral reconciliation between the offender and the offended party. The results confirmed that public political apologies display three main characteristics: (a) explicit and conventionalized elements (IFIDS – illocutionary force indicating devices – Searle, 1969); (b) politeness strategies and (c) expression of attitude. These elements operated so that the apologies fulfilled their perlocutionary effect. Broader axiological aspects were also identified in the data, which impacted the restorative potential of the public apologies analyzed.