Critical Discourse Analysis of Unity in Ethiopia as found on social media

Abstract

It is the objective of this study to critically analyze the discourses of unity on Social Media in Ethiopia. Multimodal semiotic public discourses were chosen to conduct the study.  CDA was the method of analysis employed in this study. The research framework adapted in this research was eclectic by amalgamating Wodak’s (1997) and Fairclaugh’s (1989) CDA models. The data were collected categorized thematically based on the objective of the study. The result of the study was critically analyzed using selected models of the aforementioned scholars. The results of the study show that the discourse of unity reveals itself in the public media in various semiotic multimodal signs. From the semiotic multimodal signs perspective, the discourse of unity was transmitted by the discourse community. The findings of the study show that humanity, unity, and cooperation are the major emerging themes of the public discourse on the social media in Ethiopia. Unity or togetherness is being advocated by many Ethiopians. The ideological sponsoring thought behind the backup is the apprehension that extreme ethnocentrism, as opposed to nationalism, could disintegrate the country, if not checked in advance.

[1] Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics and Communications Kotebe Metropolitan University danieltiuneh@gmail.com 

[2] Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics and Communications Kotebe Metropolitan University melsachin@yahoo.com

[3] Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics and Communications Kotebe Metropolitan University rukyhasen@gmail.com

[4] Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics and Communications Melese Zenawi Academy gemechissam@gmail.com