This seminar paper wants to investigate how the portrayal of bullying language and methods has changed over the last 46 years, because it is a fact that words have the power to hurt somebody deeply. For this purpose, two fictional young adult novels, “Blubber” by Judy Blume (1974), and “Friend me” by Sheila M. Averbuch (2020), were chosen.
The paper starts with an investigation into the language of bullying, taking into account a definition, different forms, and characteristics of bullying, the roles of the participants, and typical linguistic use of words and phrases. Afterwards, the methodology will be explained, accompanied by the data collection procedure and the data analysis, before the research findings will be explained. This starts with a brief introduction for each of the two books, a collection of sample passages, and this will then be concluded with a discourse analysis of the social actors, the analysis of bullying language, and the methods, which are used for peer victimization. Having analyzed each young adult novel in these three steps, there will be a with the aim of giving an answer to the research questions, taking into account the portrayal of bullying lan-guage and methods, how they have changed over the last 46 years. To round up the discussion, some suggestions will be given to teachers and educators, who want to deal with the serious topic of bullying and sensitize their pupils by using such fictional books.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Language of bullying
2.1. Definition
2.2. Forms of bullying
2.3. Characteristics of bullying
2.4. Roles
2.5. Language use
3. Methodology
3.1. Data collection procedure
3.2. Data analysis
4. Research findings
4.1. “Blubber” by Judy Blume (1974)
4.1.1. Sample passages
4.1.2. Discourse analysis of social actors
4.1.3. Analysis of bullying language
4.1.4. Bullying methods
4.2. “Friend me” by Sheila M. Averbuch (2020)
4.2.1. Sample passages
4.2.2. Discourse analysis of social actors
4.2.3. Analysis of bullying language
4.2.4. Methods of bullying
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
6.1. Primary Literature
6.2. Secondary Literature
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper investigates the evolution of bullying language and methodologies over the last four decades by conducting a comparative discourse analysis of two fictional young adult novels, "Blubber" (1974) and "Friend me" (2020), to identify shifts in interpersonal harassment and provide insights for educators.
- Comparative analysis of traditional versus cyberbullying strategies.
- Linguistic patterns of victimization, name-calling, and dehumanization.
- The impact of technological advancements on bullying accessibility and anonymity.
- Discourse representations of social actors in adolescent literature.
- Practical pedagogical approaches for sensitizing students to peer victimization.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1.2. Discourse analysis of social actors
For the text analysis, the perspectivity of the written discourse is important. The book “Blubber” is written in the first-person singular form. Due to the fact that Jill Brenner is the protagonist of the book and tells the story in her words, this chosen perspective gives some kind of authenticity and subjectivity. (cf. Bendel Larcher, 2015, p. 60) The recipient of the book gets the feeling to experience the girl’s story and to be part of it.
The portrayal of the characters is another important aspect of the text analysis. It follows the question how the social actors of the book are represented. (cf. Bendel Larcher, 2015, p. 63) Nominational (cf. Baker & Ellece, 2011, p. 112) and predicational strategies (cf. Baker & Ellece, 2011, p. 101) play a big role in this context. The main social actors in every example are Linda Fisher, who is mostly referred to as “she” or “Blubber”, and Jill Brenner, who is represented with the personal pronoun “I” and “Baby Brenner”. In the first passage, a group of girls is mentioned, and also what they regularly do – sitting in the last row. Passage two is about the girls who bully Linda. There, Linda is always referred to with the personal pronoun “she”, her name is not mentioned by the bullies. The girls also speak about “some people” who eat whales. The third passage contains the word “Blubber”, which is the name for Linda, since she is overweight and did a presentation on whales. This name is also mentioned in the next text passage, where they call her “Blubber” three times in a row, and passage five.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter highlights the prevalence of peer victimization among adolescents and establishes the research goal of examining shifts in bullying discourse between 1974 and 2020 using two specific novels.
2. Language of bullying: This section defines bullying and outlines its various forms, participant roles, and typical characteristics, providing a theoretical foundation for analyzing harmful discourse patterns.
3. Methodology: This chapter details the discourse analysis approach, selection criteria for the two fictional novels, and the systematic procedure developed to identify and categorize bullying language instances.
4. Research findings: This core section presents the comparative analysis of "Blubber" and "Friend me," examining social actor representation, specific bullying linguistic markers, and the evolution of bullying methods in each book.
5. Conclusion: The summary integrates the analytical findings, noting that while core bullying behaviors remain constant, the communication media have shifted significantly toward online platforms, and offers suggestions for educators.
6. Bibliography: This chapter provides a comprehensive list of primary and secondary sources utilized in the research.
Keywords
Bullying, peer victimization, discourse analysis, young adult literature, cyberbullying, linguistic patterns, social actors, name-calling, power imbalance, adolescence, Blubber, Friend me, educational strategies, harassment, identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how the portrayal of bullying language and methodologies in young adult fiction has changed over the 46-year period between 1974 and 2020.
What are the primary thematic areas covered in the analysis?
The study covers the definition and characteristics of bullying, the roles of participants, discourse patterns in bullying language, and the methods used to enact peer victimization.
What is the central research question guiding this investigation?
The primary research question is: How has the portrayal of bullying language and methods changed over the last 46 years within the context of young adult literature?
Which scientific methods were employed to perform this analysis?
The author utilizes a qualitative discourse analysis approach, specifically targeting written texts to study language in use, identifying social actor representation and linguistic phenomena.
What topics are discussed specifically in the main body of the paper?
The main body provides a theoretical overview of bullying, followed by a comparative discourse analysis of the novels "Blubber" by Judy Blume and "Friend me" by Sheila M. Averbuch, exploring passages from both works.
Which specific keywords define this academic work?
Key terms include bullying, peer victimization, discourse analysis, cyberbullying, identity, language patterns, and adolescent literature.
How does the transition from traditional bullying to cyberbullying manifest in the two books?
While "Blubber" focuses on physical notes and face-to-face verbal harassment, "Friend me" demonstrates how technology enables anonymous, persistent exclusion and harassment through social apps and polls.
What conclusions does the author draw regarding the teacher's role?
The author concludes that because young adult literature promotes empathy and awareness, educators should actively use these texts to host critical discussions and develop strategies against hate language.
- Citar trabajo
- Christina Binter (Autor), 2021, Changes in the portrayal of bullying language. A discourse analysis of two young adult novels, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1247277
