Examining the power dynamics in the Sunflower Movement discourse using the lexicogrammar “被” (bei)

This study examines the power relations shown by the lexicogrammar “被” (bei) through the analysis of the corpus of the Sunflower Movement discourse. Preliminary findings show that the Chinese character “被” (bei) is frequently used in the discourse of the Sunflower Movement. Among the top 100 clusters of “被” (bei), the highest percentage are verbs, which account for more than 50% of the total number of the top 100 clusters. This study further highlights the doer, the recipient and the collocated verbs in the sentences using “被” (bei), examining the relationships between text, discourse and the Sunflower Movement. Analysing the bi-directional power dynamics in the Sunflower Movement from a discourse analysis standpoint, the study explores how the discourse reflects the ideology of the general public and the power structures in Taiwanese society.