Valtiosopimukset naapuruussuhteiden kuvaajina: oikeuksien ja velvollisuuksien ilmaiseminen eri naapurien kesken

Authors

• Miia Santalahti Tampere University
• Marja Kivilehto Tampere University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70484/vakki.161847

Keywords:

modaalisuus, systeemis-funktionaalinen kieliteoria, säädöskieli, valtiosopimus

Abstract

In this article, we examine how rights and obligations are created by means of language in instruments regulating the relations between states - treaties. Combining qualitative analysis and corpus research tools, we compare treaties between Finland and Russia (USSR) with treaties between Finland and Sweden. We focus on the regulation of rights and obligations as conveyed by expressions of modality, using systemic functional linguistics as the basis of our analysis.

In order to analyse phenomena of language in a certain text, one must also pay attention to its context. In our research, the main contextual factor is the nature of the treaty as a regulatory genre, which steers its interpretation. While we acknowledge that such factors as the treaty preparation process and geopolitical climate also influence the outcome, we focus on the genre and also make notice of time as an influential contextual factor: the use of language changes over time, and this also applies to treaty language.