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Online gaming and language aggression in a Tunisian Arabic context

  • Khouloud Boukhris

    Khouloud Boukhris holds PhD in Linguistics and MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL. She is a Lecturer at Brunel University London. She is also actively cooperating with Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. Her research interests include im/politeness-related research, particularly in investigating issues such as offence and language aggression and the use of pragmatic particles as well as aggressive expressions in how people use these expressions to get their messages across.

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Published/Copyright: December 12, 2023

Abstract

This paper intends to examine the development of conflictual interactions, how they might be resolved, and the socio-cultural norms involved, by adopting an analytical framework in an online gaming context. The current paper was inspired by Kádár and Haugh’s framework as it enables me to investigate both the macro and micro aspects of (im)politeness. The study’s aim is to further examine how impoliteness, language aggression and conflict are realised in two online gaming platforms, namely Fortnite and PUBG Mobile. Thus, I will explore discursively how these phenomena are subjective in a Tunisian Arabic setting and discuss how participants reach their subjective perception of conflict in ways that do not always correspond to the supposed intentions of the ostensible offender. The results indicate that conflict is subjective as it is evaluated in different ways by different gamers and could be a result of a conflictual intention. The findings also reveal that conflict may also be created/ escalated as a result of a non-conflictual intention. Thus, this paper contributes to understanding of conflict, how impoliteness can lead to conflict and the various aspects of impoliteness/the perception of impoliteness.

About the author

Khouloud Boukhris

Khouloud Boukhris holds PhD in Linguistics and MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL. She is a Lecturer at Brunel University London. She is also actively cooperating with Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. Her research interests include im/politeness-related research, particularly in investigating issues such as offence and language aggression and the use of pragmatic particles as well as aggressive expressions in how people use these expressions to get their messages across.

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Published Online: 2023-12-12
Published in Print: 2023-12-15

© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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