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The construction of group identities and the positioning of ‘Irishness’ in computer-mediated siscourse surrounding the repeal of the Eighth Amendment
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Date
2021
Authors
Grant, Ciara
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University College Cork
Published Version
Abstract
In 2018 Ireland held a referendum proposing a repeal of an historic
amendment to the Constitution which guaranteed the unborn child a right to life
equal to that of the mother, effectively rendering abortion illegal in all but
exceptional circumstances. The referendum on this divisive issue generated
enormous public interest, resulting in highly publicised debates in both online and
offline spheres. This study uses the online context of the referendum to examine
identity construction and navigation by groups and individuals participating in
computer-mediated discourse. Four major identity themes are identified in this study:
national, gender, political, and religious. Data are collected from comments made by
users on the public Facebook pages of major Irish news outlets. There are two major
groups identified in this study: the Yes group which self-identifies as pro-choice and
supports a Yes vote in the referendum, and the No group which self-identifies as pro-
life and advocates a No vote which would retain the status quo. There is also a third
group of Undecided voters, although there were few examples of these comments in
the data corpus.
Using a combined positioning theory and corpus-based approach to discourse
analysis, the data corpus is analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods,
including the analytical software tool AntConc. The study finds that there are two
divergent Irish identities in this debate. The Yes group positions Ireland and its
people as a modern nation, evidenced by their support of increased access to
abortion. This stance carries a wider symbolism including a greater emphasis on
gender equality and women’s rights, as well as a separation of Church and State. By
comparison, it was found that the No group’s version of Irish identity is focused on
retention of the traditional family unit at the centre of society, emphasised by a
difference from Britain and informed by Catholic values and morals. The study also
identified a high prevalence of trolling by both Yes and No users. This is a
discursive feature that is unique to computer-mediated environments and is
influenced by the nature of online communication itself.
Description
Keywords
Linguistics , Identity , Computer mediated discourse , Abortion , Social media , Discourse analysis
Citation
Grant, C. 2021. The construction of group identities and the positioning of ‘Irishness’ in computer-mediated siscourse surrounding the repeal of the Eighth Amendment. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.