The language of support: the case of the Christchurch earthquake

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aut.researcherTheunissen, Petronella Sophia
dc.contributor.authorTheunissen, PS
dc.date.accessioned2011-12-12T21:07:20Z
dc.date.accessioned2012-04-10T22:18:39Z
dc.date.available2011-12-12T21:07:20Z
dc.date.available2012-04-10T22:18:39Z
dc.date.copyright2011
dc.date.issued2011
dc.description.abstractIt is not unusual for spectators of a natural disaster to be affected by that disaster and to want to reach out to its victims – whether it be physically or spiritually. With the advent of the Internet and social media, many of these spectators use technologies to express their support and/or condolences. After the 2011 Christchurch earthquake messages posted to sites such as YouTube, nzherald.co.nz and TradeMe effectively became condolence books, and writing messages has become a ritual in contemporary society. Not surprisingly, the language of these messages is essentially one of support, evident in the inclusive “us” and “we”, and ubiquitous references to strength through prayer and family unity. This paper discusses a thematic analysis of roughly 1,500 messages of support posted on nzherald.co.nz between 22 February and 28 February 2011. Themes emerging showed a strong bias towards a belief in a benevolent God (Christian or otherwise), a focus on family and remaining strong under difficult conditions. Messages were future-oriented, expressing hope for recovery and unity while, at the same time identifying with victims. Negative emotions, such as anger and blame, were conspicuous in their absence. Language used indicated a perceived connection that spanned across geographical boundaries, and there appeared to be an unspoken assumption that those participating in the ritual of expressing support represented a community (albeit invisible) who felt the same.
dc.format.mediumEnglish
dc.identifier.citation3rd New Zealand Discourse Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 2011-12-05 - 2011-12-07
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10292/3675
dc.publisherAUT University
dc.relation.replaceshttp://hdl.handle.net/10292/3080
dc.relation.replaces10292/3080
dc.rightsAuckland University of Technology (AUT) encourages public access to AUT information and supports the legal use of copyright material in accordance with the Copyright Act 1994 (the Act) and the Privacy Act 1993. Unless otherwise stated, copyright material contained on this site may be in the intellectual property of AUT, a member of staff or third parties. Any commercial exploitation of this material is expressly prohibited without the written permission of the owner.
dc.rights.accessrightsOpenAccess
dc.subjectdiscourse
dc.subjectlanguage
dc.subjectcommunication
dc.subjectidentification
dc.subjectsupport
dc.subjectfuture
dc.subjectreligion
dc.subjectbenevolence
dc.subjecthope
dc.titleThe language of support: the case of the Christchurch earthquake
dc.typeConference Contribution
pubs.organisational-data/AUT
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/Design & Creative Technologies
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/Design & Creative Technologies/School of Communication Studies
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF Researchers
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF Researchers/Design & Creative Technologies PBRF Researchers
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF Researchers/Design & Creative Technologies PBRF Researchers/DCT Communications
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