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Philology. Theory & Practice
  • Original research article
  • October 30, 2024
  • Open access

Verbal aggression towards women in English-language online discourse

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Abstract

The research aims to identify the most prevalent forms and categories of verbal aggression directed at women in English-language online communities. The article examines the characteristics of this phenomenon using the example of three clusters of online communities that differ in the level of expression and typology of gender-oriented insults. The analysis covers both specialized communities where gender issues are at the center of discussions and groups dedicated to more general topics. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that it is the first work to identify and classify types of verbal aggression directed at women and the sociocultural factors that condition them in English-language online communities with different thematic focuses. As a result of the research, it was demonstrated that gender-motivated aggression is primarily expressed through verbal means such as invectives, market metaphors, evaluative adjectives with negative connotations, and generalizing expressions. The main motivating sociocultural factors are dominant gender stereotypes, patriarchal attitudes, and misogynistic narratives, encountered not only in niche but also in broader-themed online spaces.

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Author information

Tatiana Yurievna Nikolaeva

Moscow City University

About this article

Publication history

  • Received: September 19, 2024.
  • Published: October 30, 2024.

Keywords

  • вербальная агрессия
  • онлайн-дискурс
  • английский язык
  • гендерная дискриминация
  • женоненавистнические дискурсивные практики
  • verbal aggression
  • online discourse
  • English language
  • gender discrimination
  • misogynistic discourse practices

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© 2024 The Author(s)
© 2024 Gramota Publishing, LLC

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)