Abstract
This article examines the linguistic features of an anti-immigration discussion in the Suomi24 online discussion forum. The article is based on a case study focusing on a conversation thread that was started in October 2017. Initially, the thread consisted of 40 comments, 13 of which were eliminated by the forum’s moderators. The present analysis aims to outline the means by which an anti-immigration ideology is built into the data. Particular attention is paid to the lexical, syntactic, textual, and discursive tools through which the participants in the thread construe different group identities, a strategy that eventually leads to an important polarisation between ‘them’ and ‘us’. A discourse-analytical micro-level analysis is used to unravel the broader societal processes underlying the discussion.
The article demonstrates how the construal of polarisation between different group identities plays a crucial role in creating anti-immigration ideology both by intratextual and intertextual means. As shown in the concluding chapter, Chilton’s (2004) basic discourse space model may be used to illustrate this construal of mental distance between ‘them’ (immigrants who are targeted as unwanted objects) and ‘us’ (discussion participants).
The intratextual analysis focuses on NPs, anaphoric expressions, and open personal constructions used to refer to groups of people, whereas the intertextual analysis concentrates on speech and thought representation and intertextual links to current news, culturally significant texts, and stereotypical topoi.
The article shows that there is a strong connection between the linguistic construction of group identities and discriminatory speech, a category also comprising hate speech. Furthermore, the article provides new insights into several recurring linguistic and argumentative phenomena present in hate speech. In social media, it is easy to spread hate speech, which is why such informal channels in the public sphere have become a social challenge. Preventing hate speech requires understanding the mechanisms of discriminatory language use.
The article demonstrates how the construal of polarisation between different group identities plays a crucial role in creating anti-immigration ideology both by intratextual and intertextual means. As shown in the concluding chapter, Chilton’s (2004) basic discourse space model may be used to illustrate this construal of mental distance between ‘them’ (immigrants who are targeted as unwanted objects) and ‘us’ (discussion participants).
The intratextual analysis focuses on NPs, anaphoric expressions, and open personal constructions used to refer to groups of people, whereas the intertextual analysis concentrates on speech and thought representation and intertextual links to current news, culturally significant texts, and stereotypical topoi.
The article shows that there is a strong connection between the linguistic construction of group identities and discriminatory speech, a category also comprising hate speech. Furthermore, the article provides new insights into several recurring linguistic and argumentative phenomena present in hate speech. In social media, it is easy to spread hate speech, which is why such informal channels in the public sphere have become a social challenge. Preventing hate speech requires understanding the mechanisms of discriminatory language use.
| Translated title of the contribution | Constructing anti-immigration ideology and group identity in an online conversation thread on the Suomi24 discussion board |
|---|---|
| Original language | Finnish |
| Pages (from-to) | 190-216 |
| Journal | Virittäjä |
| Volume | 124 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2020 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- online discussion
- hate speech
- immigration
- discourse analysis
- Othering
- polarization