The Role of Language during the Pandemic: A Mixed-method Exploration of Discourse of Fear and Sinophobia | [Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research • 2024]

Author(s):

1. Muhammad Shaban Rafi: Department of English Linguistics and Literature, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan

2. Amnah Moghees: Center for Languages, University of Management and University,Lahore,PakistanRiphah International University,Lahore,PakistanUniversity of Management and Technology,Lahore,Pakistan

Abstract:

Among the media outlets, the newspapers were an important source of information about the COVID-19 lockdown; however, the language chosen to see the pandemic world cascaded surreal psychological feelings. Fewer scholarly studies are available which have investigated the role of language during the pandemic and its implications. This study explores primarily the pandemic language and its contribution to the discourse of fear and anti-Chinese sentiments. Data was collected from English newspaper articles and university students‘ responses to the questionnaires. The discursive themes were assessed, evaluated, and described by codifying the qualitative data. These themes were further analyzed and correlated through quantitative data to seek the goodness-of-fit. Findings revealed that the language used to report the infection perpetuated fear, Sinophobia, and certain psychological ripples. The study posits that linguists must come forward and work with journalists to introduce the language to control fear and encourage empathy and pluralism during the crisis

Page(s): 305-328

DOI: 10.33824/PJPR.2024.39.2.18

Published: Journal: Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, Volume: 39, Issue: 2, Year: 2024

Keywords:

discrimination , COVID19 language , discourse of fear , sinophobia , Chinese virus

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