The Lexicogrammar of Religious Hate Speech Comment in YouTube. A Forensic Linguistic Study

The Lexicogrammar of Religious Hate Speech Comment in YouTube. A Forensic Linguistic Study

The increase use of social media is not without problem. Besides many benefits they provide to the users, social media like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, become a media amplifying the spread of hurtful speech and expression despite the fact that governments have put efforts to restrict the freedom of expression online  Hurtful speech attacks either individual or group of people based on race, ethnic, gender, or religion. YouTube is one of the social media that provide its viewers a comment section to express their appreciation and critic on the video presented. This section, then, becomes the space for people to express hurtful speech, or hate speech toward others.

This current study analyzes religion-based hate speech (religious hate speech) appearing in the comment section of some selected YouTube channels presenting the video of Donald Trump speech comment section. By applying Halliday theory of SFL, this study revealed the lexicogrammatical features of religious hate speech (MOOD, modality, and transitivity) and how the lexicogrammar of the religious hate speech clauses potentially affect the readers. In addition, strategy to response the hate speech was also explored. Titscher content analysis was employed to analyze 55 comments collected from four YouTube channels.

The result of the study shows that the collected religious hate speeches could be categorized into three. they are religious hatred, blasphemy, and religious insult. Each of the type shows regularities in terms of lexicogrammar used in their clauses. . In term of lexicogrammar, hate speech included in religious hatred is expressed in declarative MOOD functioning as statement of fact (or seeming of fact) and indirect directive with high modality, and imperative MOOD. In addition, metaphor is utilized to express the implicit meaning of the proposition. Then, the process type used are material, mental, and relational processes. In the aspect of persuasiveness, the clauses of religious hatred are highly persuasive. Three elements of Aristotle rhetorical appeal (ethos, pathos, and logos) can be found in the clauses. In responding such hate speech, three types of strategy are chosen. They are passive, assertive, and aggressive. Yet, among the three, assertive is highly frequently used.

Secondly, the hate speech indicating blasphemy is expressed by utilizing declarative MOOD. Different from hate speeches indicating religious hatred, the declarative MOOD in expressing blasphemy is without the use of modality. The processes used include relational and material processes. The clauses utilize only two rhetorical appeals, namely ethos and logos. There are four strategies used to respond this type of religious hate speech; they are passive, assertive, constructive activity, and aggressive.

The last type is religious insult, which is expressed in declarative MOOD, some of which are with high modality, and imperative MOOD. Meanwhile, the process types used are relational, material, and mental processes. The persuasion appeals which are utilized are ethos and logos. Similar to religious hatred, there are three strategies used to respond this type of religious hate speech; they are passive, assertive, and aggressive.

The increase use of social media is not without problem. Besides many benefits they provide to the users, social media like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, become a media amplifying the spread of hurtful speech and expression despite the fact that governments have put efforts to restrict the freedom of expression online  Hurtful speech attacks either individual or group of people based on race, ethnic, gender, or religion. YouTube is one of the social media that provide its viewers a comment section to express their appreciation and critic on the video presented. This section, then, becomes the space for people to express hurtful speech, or hate speech toward others.

This current study analyzes religion-based hate speech (religious hate speech) appearing in the comment section of some selected YouTube channels presenting the video of Donald Trump speech comment section. By applying Halliday theory of SFL, this study revealed the lexicogrammatical features of religious hate speech (MOOD, modality, and transitivity) and how the lexicogrammar of the religious hate speech clauses potentially affect the readers. In addition, strategy to response the hate speech was also explored. Titscher content analysis was employed to analyze 55 comments collected from four YouTube channels.

The result of the study shows that the collected religious hate speeches could be categorized into three. they are religious hatred, blasphemy, and religious insult. Each of the type shows regularities in terms of lexicogrammar used in their clauses. . In term of lexicogrammar, hate speech included in religious hatred is expressed in declarative MOOD functioning as statement of fact (or seeming of fact) and indirect directive with high modality, and imperative MOOD. In addition, metaphor is utilized to express the implicit meaning of the proposition. Then, the process type used are material, mental, and relational processes. In the aspect of persuasiveness, the clauses of religious hatred are highly persuasive. Three elements of Aristotle rhetorical appeal (ethos, pathos, and logos) can be found in the clauses. In responding such hate speech, three types of strategy are chosen. They are passive, assertive, and aggressive. Yet, among the three, assertive is highly frequently used.

Secondly, the hate speech indicating blasphemy is expressed by utilizing declarative MOOD. Different from hate speeches indicating religious hatred, the declarative MOOD in expressing blasphemy is without the use of modality. The processes used include relational and material processes. The clauses utilize only two rhetorical appeals, namely ethos and logos. There are four strategies used to respond this type of religious hate speech; they are passive, assertive, constructive activity, and aggressive.

The last type is religious insult, which is expressed in declarative MOOD, some of which are with high modality, and imperative MOOD. Meanwhile, the process types used are relational, material, and mental processes. The persuasion appeals which are utilized are ethos and logos. Similar to religious hatred, there are three strategies used to respond this type of religious hate speech; they are passive, assertive, and aggressive.