A Linguistic Analysis of the Online Debate on Vaccines and Use of Fora as Information Stations and Confirmation Niche

This study looks at the communication between users concerning health risks, with the aim of exploring their use of fora and assessing whether participants establish a niche with like-minded users during these exchanges. By integrating a corpus linguistic approach with content analysis and multiple studies on computer mediated health discourse, this study analyses the intense attention paid to the correlation between the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism, as an example of elaboration of the message and risk of emotive amplification, with fora working as echo chambers. Results include: a) a qualitative analysis of the content of posts and their qualification, b) a focus on the type of concerns questioners raise, and c) a comparison of the qualifier proportions between the posts and the responses they get. The comparison between posts/responses investigates whether the forum works as an amplification station of emotions, or as a locus to establish a belief niche

On the discursive self-construction of expats, behavior and values

Considering that learners engage in the creation of new educational scenarios, often using digital media, travelogues have been analysed because they represent the digital development of a well-established genre within tourism discourse. This study focuses on the discursive construction of expats as 1) integrated tourist and 2) travelogue writers. I consider the occurrence of an Us as opposed/assimilated with a Them in the expression of values, behaviors and spaces by analyzing a corpus made up of articles taken from the most accessed travel webzines for expats at the time of the research. Then I analyse the thematic structures and techniques of this textual typology. The paper may help to address pedagogical issues such as critical genre awareness and identity construction

Framing diversity in teen drama: Streaming series as a case study for social and discursive constructions

Concepts of inclusivity and diversity are socially and discursively constructed through a variety of contexts, including televisual/streaming series. Undoubtedly, televisual/streaming products strongly impact how individuals (especially younger generations; Trudgill 1986, Bednarek 2017) are exposed to and have experience with construed situations, since they broaden the range of different positions in contexts. In fact, certain themes are problematized in dramas and are successively negotiated in dialogues, favoring different viewpoints and attitudes. In ongoing screen interactions, therefore, the audience participates in the enactment and alignment of meanings that challenge the different representations of reality (Dewulf and Bouwen 2012, Bednarek 2018). In the context of the socio-political input that favours inclusivity, this paper investigates the type of diversity that is framed and in what way it is negotiated within fictional interactions in teen drama. The analytical tools of Critical Discourse Studies are combined with the interaction-oriented ones to investigate the discursive strategies of identity constructions in interaction (Stamou 2018). Exchanges from three American teen dramas, representing the audiovisual experience that would best fit the age group of adolescents, are investigated to explore fictionalization within and throughout dialogues, and to study how specific identities are constructed (as in normalized/accepted/rejected), and what discourses are drawn for these constructions. Results show that some differences in how specific (stereotypical) identities are treated occur and that certain exchanges in dialogues strategically sustain, support or reject particular messages about diversity to frame “group identity” meanings

“Isn’t it so heartbreaking to see our loved ones decline right before our eyes...”: Exploring posts as illness stories

Set in the tradition of studies that look at digital interactions, this paper aims to explore the dimension of illness as referred to by informal caregivers in online exchanges. The research attempts to a) describe posts as mediated illness stories by comparing them to the storytelling in interaction model (Mishler), and b) explore what is revealed about the writer. A data set of 7371 posts (including sub-replies) has been studied as personal narratives in non-clinical therapeutic exchanges by means of Digital Conversation Analysis (Giles et al.), and investigated as written emotional disclosure (Pennebaker). Posts are found to convey explicit and implicit messages to be understood and incorporated into health promotion efforts, beliefs and issues. The paper makes a contribution to the field of medical humanities by proposing online posts as third-person accounts of illness experiences, and as the linguistic manifestation of caregivers’ (CGs) state of mind. Although digital settings have already been studied in the context of medical exchanges, this is the first study involving informal caretakers’ exchanges.Set in the tradition of studies that look at digital interactions, this paper aims to explore the dimension of illness as referred to by informal caregivers in online exchanges. The research attempts to a) describe posts as mediated illness stories by comparing them to the storytelling in interaction model (Mishler), and b) explore what is revealed about the writer. A data set of 7371 posts (including sub-replies) has been studied as personal narratives in non-clinical therapeutic exchanges by means of Digital Conversation Analysis (Giles et al.), and investigated as written emotional disclosure (Pennebaker). Posts are found to convey explicit and implicit messages to be understood and incorporated into health promotion efforts, beliefs and issues. The paper makes a contribution to the field of medical humanities by proposing online posts as third-person accounts of illness experiences, and as the linguistic manifestation of caregivers’ (CGs) state of mind. Although digital settings have already been studied in the context of medical exchanges, this is the first study involving informal caretakers’ exchanges

In-Between Discourse and Genre: Doctor-Patient Interaction in Online Communication.

Abstract This paper presents the results of a corpus-based study which investigates the genre of medical eexchanges between doctors and medical website users. Three conversational routines (greetings, politeness, formal and informal linguistic features) are analyzed. The framework of the study is what some researchers refer to as net linguistics (Posteguillo 2003), consisting of the linguistic study of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC). The findings indicate that health posts are a relatively informal type of d/p interaction which is largely influenced by e-mails and chat conventions

Introduction

“The Languages and Anti-Languages of Health Communication in the Age of Conspiracy Theories, Mis/Disinformation and Hate Speech” aims at analysing the languages of discourse of health communication, specifically health message design, addressing COVID-19 in both institutional and non-institutional media settings. The purpose of this special issue is to explore the “anti-languages” and counter-discourses endorsing (mis/dis-)information, and conspiracy theories which are in direct opposition to official discourses and challenge social and political hegemony. The discourse approach to health communication featured in the papers of this special issue will help understanding social responses to sickness and belief related to health

Asking for medical help by posting on the net: genre, functions and ethical issues

On the basis of the growing of the number of sites related to health issues and online conversation, statistical research tend to acknowledge that the communication practices of health message boards have significant roles to play in the era of online counseling (Anderson, 2003; Kim & Yoon, 2011; Mulholland, 1999; Eysenbach and Diepgen 1999; O'Connor and Johanson 2000; Shuyler and Knight 2003; Gooden and Winefield 2007). However, one of the main worries concerning these spaces has been the uncontrolled information that is provided by users with no defined roles and who do not/cannot take responsibility for what they say. Previous studies were intended to explore how people discussing health issues use health-related online communities or doctoranswers support frames to access information and support. This research, conversely, explores the heterogeneous territory of new media health care discourse questioning whether Computer Mediated Medical Communication may represent a new genre and consequently may address new functions (Campagna et al., 2012). In addition, starting from the most common definition of medical ethics, the study investigates whether CMMC can meet the expectations of the patient, the role of the physician and eventually how doctors address issues such as the individuality of the medical response and the self-positioning with respect to the certainty of virtual diagnoses. In particular, this paper examines a wide array of authentic examples from medical message boards analyzing by means of Discourse Analysis the ways in which participants construct positions and commitment toward advice, opinions and suggestions (Van der Auwera and Plungian, 1998; Nuyts, 2001; Bybee et al. 1994; Cornillie 2009; Marìn 2004; Hyland, 2002).The analysis attempts to understand how health communication is changing in an online environment and what results are produced by the shift from a doctorto- patient frame to user-to-user frame in terms of authorship and responsibility toward utterances

Health on the net: the doctor answers

The global net system has certainly played an important role in the increase and the following modification of communication dynamics. The term 'online community' has become increasingly popular and refers to a group of people in the online forums who share opinions and information as well as strong feelings of camaraderie, empathy and support (Preece 2005). Message boards have become the easiest way of asking for any information, and anyone can register to participate in an online discussion. The exchange of detailed knowledge, ideas or questions satisfies the users in most discourse domains because such exchange is fast, easy, and free. However, in particular situations such as doctor-patient interviews, computer mediated communication is still a limit. There are many sites that offer on-line medical help for free or with a pre-payment service. They permit the saving of time and money and are considered to be convenient, reliable and affordable with generalists' and specialists' help potentially available 24 hours a day. The online community that actively uses service sites such as these is also attracted by the anonymity that is guaranteed by the nickname used in comment entries. Time, money-saving and anonymity guarantee an enjoyable aspect to these interactions