Political Debasement

Ofer Feldman is Professor of Political Psychology and Behavior at the Faculty of Policy Studies, Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan. His research centers on the psychological underpinnings of mass and elite political behavior in Japan, and he has extensively published journal articles and book chapters on issues related to political communication and persuasion, political leadership, and political culture. His books include Talking Politics in Japan Today (2004), The Psychology of Political Communicators (2019, edited with Sonja Zmerli), The Rhetoric of Political Leadership (2020, edited), When Politicians Talk: The Cultural Dynamics of Public Speaking (2021, edited), Politische Psychologie: Handbuch für Studium und Wissenschaft (2022, 2nd updated and expanded edition, edited with Sonja Zmerli), Politicians’ Rhetoric: The Psychology of Words and Facial Expressions (2022, in Japanese, with Ken Kinoshita), and Adversarial Political Interviewing: Worldwide Perspectives During Polarized Times (2022, edited). In 2021, he was elected Honorary Chair of the Research Committee on Political Psychology, International Political Science Association.

“This dual publication’s undeniable forte is that its contributors not only finish each of their articles with a tangible recommendation for the potential scientific area worth researching in the future, but that the scholars put into practice the variety of concepts from academic disciplines such as linguistics, political science, social and political psychology as well as communication. Additionally, the collections offer a rich methodological source of inspirations … . provide insights into a wide arrayof countries … .” (Artur Cedzich, Res Rhetorica, Vol. 10 (3), 2023)

• Introduction.- Adversarial Attacks in Spanish Politics: Direct and Indirect Forms.- Of Toddy, Tongsan, and Bigfoot from Kinabatangan: The Use of Impolite Language in the Malaysian Parliament.- Challenging Etiquette: Insults, Sarcasm, and Irony in Japanese Politicians’ Discourse.- Consistency and Change: Derogatory Language in Chinese Leaders’ Speeches.