Representation of refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and migrants on Facebook

Fekonja, Tina (author), Lazović, Vesna (mentor), Zorman, Marinka (mentor)

This thesis examines discursive strategies used by readers of two prominent British newspapers, The Guardian and The Telegraph, to depict refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and migrants (RASIM) in negative or hateful terms. Using Critical Dis-course Analysis (CDA), the study looks at comments from the two Facebook pages, focusing on two different time periods: February and March 2020 and February and March 2024. Five main categories of negative messaging were identified: RASIM pre-sent a danger, RASIM are a burden, RASIM are passive or non-human, RASIM lack moral integrity, and other examples of xenophobia. The research aims to unveil how social media comments contribute to the construction of the ‘Us vs Them’ narrative and perpetuates Islamophobia and ethnicism, including the less obvious or direct in-stances of ‘Othering’. There seems to be a rise in hateful language over the four years, while the proportion of xenophobic comments remains low. Upon contextualising the findings within the social and political situation in Europe and the UK, the thesis aims to highlight the role of online platforms in perpetuating xenophobic attitudes and con-tributing to real-life harmful consequences for immigrants.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), RASIM, social media, hate speech, islamophobia, xenophobia, ideology, Us vs Them
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2025
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-168306
• COBISS.SI-ID: 243217667
• Publication date in RUL: 09.04.2025

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Reprezentacija beguncev, prosilcev za azil, imigrantov in migrantov na družabnem omrežju Facebook

Abstract

Magistrska naloga preučuje diskurzivne strategije, ki jih uporabljajo bralci dveh pomembnih britanskih časopisov, The Guardian in The Telegraph, in ki jih uporabljajo v negativnem ali sovražnem diskurzu o beguncih, prosilcih za azil, imigrantih in migrantih (angleško RASIM). Na osnovi kritične analize diskurza se raziskava ukvarja s komentarji na straneh obeh časopisov na socialnem omrežju Facebook, in sicer v dveh časovnih obdobjih: februarja in marca 2020 ter februarja in marca 2024. Rezultati analize odkrivajo pet glavnih kategorij negativnih sporočil: RASIM kot nevarnost, RASIM kot breme, RASIM kot pasivne ali nečloveške entitete, RASIM brez moralne integritete ter drugi primeri ksenofobije. Namen raziskave je razkriti, kako komentarji na družbenih omrežjih prispevajo k mentaliteti "mi proti njim" ter spodbujajo islamofobijo in etnicizem, vključno z bolj subtilnimi in manj direktnimi načini "drugačenja". Rezultati kažejo, da sovražni jezik narašča skozi obdobje štirih let, medtem ko je delež ksenofobnih komentarjev še vedno nizek. V kontekstu družbenega in političnega dogajanja v Evropi in v Združenem kraljestvu je cilj naloge osvetliti vlogo spleta pri širjenju ksenofobije pri negativnemu vplivu na življenja migrantov tudi izven spleta.

• Keywords: kritična analiza diskurza (CDA), begunci, prosilci za azil, priseljenci, migranti, družbena omrežja, sovražni govor, islamofobija, ksenofobija, ideologija, Mi proti Oni