Mental Representation of Rohingya Refugees in Thailand and Syrian Refugees in Europe: A Critical Discourse Study

Abstract

This study aims to compare the conceptual representations that reflect the polarized language characteristics in expressing opinions on the issue of Rohingya refugees in Thailand and Syrian refugees in Europe.  The study employs discourse analysis based on van Dijk's Sociocognitive Approach (SCA) and Ideological Square to examine opinions expressed on YouTube videos containing news reports about Rohingya refugees in Thailand (2015–2019) and Syrian refugees in Europe (2013–2019), with 100 clips analyzed for each.

The comparative analysis of mental representation in Thai and English revealed a similar construction of meaning across various topics related to ethnicity and religion. However, multiple representations led to emotional dimensions of fear, hatred, and xenophobia towards foreigners, as well as prejudices towards behaviors in different national and religious contexts. The representation also included imagery of dangerous individuals, dangerous animals, and the unwanted, resulting in feelings of fear, suspicion, and disgust. Additionally, conceptual representations are constructed to convey the image of refugee groups through the use of pronouns, name-calling, verbs that highlight behavioral differences, and modifiers that emphasize the distinction between “us” and “them.” However, discrepancies emerge in portraying “us” roles associated with animals and evil entities such as “kind horse,” which appears in Thai discourse but is absent in English.