Discourse, incivility and language aggression in social media debates on Biafra separatist agitation: Implications for Nigeria’s democratic future
Date
2025-01-27
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Media, Culture and Society
Abstract
This study explores the use of incivility and language aggression in social media debates on Biafra separatist agitation. Using the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach, 611 samples which reflected the opinions of pro-Biafra and anti-Biafra groups were analyzed to highlight how incivility and language aggression shape the Biafra agitation social media discourses. Contrary to other studies that situate the use of incivility to the pro-Biafra ingroup alone, this study found that the use of dehumanizing metaphors, threats, and aggressive language are mutual strategies utilized by both pro-Biafra and anti-Biafra ingroups in advancing their viewpoints. A major finding which recurred in the study’s themes is that that lack of genuine post-war reconstruction is a major predictor of incivility and language aggression in the discourse of Biafra agitation. This implies that the mutual animosities present in the debates were driven by historical grudges, ethnic prejudices, and dearth of objective truth-telling.
Description
This is an Accepted Manuscript version of the article that was originally published in Media, Culture & Society OnlineFirst, January 27, 2025. © The Author(s) 2025, Article Reuse Guidelines: https://sagepub.com/journals-permissions. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437251314351.
Keywords
Incivility, discourse, language aggression, social media, Biafra, civil discourse, debates, Nigeria
Citation
Ifeanyichukwu, E. A., & Hoffman, L. H. (2025). Discourse, incivility and language aggression in social media debates on Biafra separatist agitation: Implications for Nigeria’s democratic future. Media, Culture & Society, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437251314351