College of Arts

PhD Dissertation in the Department of English Language (A Critical Discourse Approach to Analyzing Social Media Bullying Among Iraqi University Students)
The Department of English Language at the College of Arts discussed a PhD dissertation titled
A Critical Discourse Approach to Analyzing Social Media Bullying Among Iraqi University Students
on Monday, September 30, 2024, in the Ibn Al-Athir Hall at the College of Arts, with the presence of a distinguished group of faculty members and researchers.
The study presented by student Afrah Abdelkader Jassim focused on bullying as a social phenomenon encountered by many in their daily lives. Bullying can occur at any time and place, whether face-to-face or via social media platforms. For many years, bullying has been considered a serious issue needing intervention, particularly in schools and workplaces. This current study, however, highlights verbal bullying online, specifically through the Telegram app, used by students in the Department of English at the University of Mosul – College of Basic Education, with a focus on the Moslawi dialect.
The study aims to answer questions related to the common types of bullying practiced by university students online and whether there are cultural or global differences in bullying methods. The study hypothesized that common types of verbal bullying include gossip, insults, threats, warnings, use of derogatory labels, and defamation. Additionally, the bullying dialogue used depends on the cultural type, whether for one gender or both. Examples of verbal bullying were analyzed to determine whether the Verklaff (1989) model could be applied to analyze bullying discourse in Arabic. The study included examining interactions of bullying between males and females within different groups. Data was collected through screenshots from official student chat groups and analyzed linguistically using the Verklaff model for critical linguistic analysis and the Lang (2002) model to determine stages of bullying.
The study concluded that bullying is an interactive social process consisting of three stages: initiation, escalation, and conclusion. Bullying is used to inflict harm on the target for specific purposes and depends on personal, ideological, and social values, and power relationships. Given that verbal bullying on social media is widespread among university students and negatively affects their performance and relationships, further academic research was recommended to address this phenomenon.
Dissertation Committee: Chair of the Committee
Prof. Dr. Basim Yahya Jassim / College of Arts / University of Mosul
And members:
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ismail Fathi Hussein / College of Education for Humanities / University of Mosul
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ibaa Muzafar Yahya / College of Arts / University of Mosul
Asst. Prof. Dr. Wafa Muzafar Ali / College of Arts / University of Mosul
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmed Haider Sakr / College of Languages / University of Duhok
And Prof. Dr. Nashwan Mustafa Saleh / College of Arts / University of Mosul (Member and Supervisor)