Power Dynamics and Linguistic Strategies in Social Media Framing of Refugee Crises: A Critical Analysis of Ukrainian and Arab Refugees

This study investigates how power dynamics and linguistic strategies shape the social media framing of refugee crises, specifically comparing narratives surrounding Ukrainian and Arab refugees. Employing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) guided by van Dijk’s socio-cognitive approach, this research examines how power structures and ideologies influence the portrayal of these groups across platforms like Twitter (X) and Reddit. The study compares discourse related to the influx of Ukrainian refugees post-February 2022 with that surrounding the 2015 Syrian refugee crisis to uncover patterns of bias and inequality. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods, the research analyzes a corpus of social media posts to identify specific linguistic strategies—such as lexical choices, metaphors, and narrative structures—that contribute to double standards in representation. The findings reveal how Western-centric biases, nationalism, and Islamophobia shape the framing of Ukrainian and Arab refugees, reinforcing societal inequalities. This paper underscores the role of language in perpetuating discriminatory practices and emphasizes the need for critical awareness to challenge biased narratives.