ABSTRACT This article critiques the appropriation of diversity in blame games surrounding the Hoërskool Overvaal (Overvaal High School) controversy that seized media attention in January 2018. Relying on discourse analysis, the study builds on previous research into the discursive practices that structure the imputation of blame for social problems emanating from politically controversial events. For sampling, the study draws from a corpus of nineteen journalistic opinion pieces published by online news sites in reaction to conflict at Overvaal. Its examination unravels a particular construction of diversity in blame games around Overvaal by focusing on an exemplar that narrows the value diversity to two dimensions: the non-racialism achieved through cross-racial contact, and linguistic diversity as conducive to long-term advantages in the labour market. To advance these goals, the study theorises blame as a social practice that involves argumentation. Authors make propositions about blame-worthy individuals or groups, prior to substantiating these claims with reasons. Claims and reasons are bridged by underlying modes of reasoning that may involve taken-for-granted assumptions about social values, such as diversity. As one way of addressing the risk that such values can be reduced to floating signifiers, the study critically assesses a prominent pattern in the way diversity is constructed.

中文翻译：

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围绕 Overvaal Furore 的指责游戏中多样性的战略构建

摘要 本文批评了围绕 2018 年 1 月引起媒体关注的 Hoërskool Overvaal（Overvaal 高中）争议的指责游戏中多样性的挪用。该研究依赖于话语分析，建立在先前对构建过错归责的话语实践的研究之上因政治争议事件引起的社会问题。作为抽样，该研究从在线新闻网站发布的 19 篇新闻评论文章中提取，以应对 Overvaal 的冲突。它的研究通过关注一个将价值多样性缩小到两个维度的例子，揭示了围绕 Overvaal 的责备游戏中多样性的特殊结构：通过跨种族接触实现的非种族主义，语言多样性有助于在劳动力市场上获得长期优势。为了推进这些目标，该研究将责任归咎于一种涉及争论的社会实践。在用理由证实这些主张之前，作者对值得指责的个人或团体提出建议。主张和理由通过潜在的推理模式桥接起来，这些推理模式可能涉及对社会价值的理所当然的假设，例如多样性。作为解决此类值可能被简化为浮动能指的风险的一种方法，该研究批判性地评估了构建多样性的方式中的一个突出模式。主张和理由通过潜在的推理模式桥接起来，这些推理模式可能涉及对社会价值的理所当然的假设，例如多样性。作为解决此类值可能被简化为浮动能指的风险的一种方法，该研究批判性地评估了构建多样性的方式中的一个突出模式。主张和理由通过潜在的推理模式桥接起来，这些推理模式可能涉及对社会价值的理所当然的假设，例如多样性。作为解决此类值可能被简化为浮动能指的风险的一种方法，该研究批判性地评估了构建多样性的方式中的一个突出模式。