Uso (e abuso) delle categorie ad hoc nel discorso politico su Twitter

This paper examines how list constructions are used in political discourse on Twitter to share specific positions regarding migratory phenomena, and as such they should be ana- lyzed critically. List constructions implicitly communicate that their members are part of an ad hoc conceptual category, therefore suggesting that they should be considered similar in some way. Using a corpus of tweets and through a search for keywords relating to migra- tory phenomena, we will show how migrants are mostly included in lists with inanimate and vague members or animate members with negative connotations. NGOs co-occur in lists with traffickers/smugglers, implicitly communicating that they are entities engaged in similar activities. Finally, the persuasive effect of lists is often reinforced by repetition and alliteration, rhetorical tools that could contribute to the naturalization of ad hoc categories.