A linguistic investigation into selected newspaper reports on women and child abuse in Namibia from 2018 - 2019

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to Investigate the use of Functional Linguistics on selected newspaper reports about women and children in Namibia from 2018-2019. Newspaper reports are the largest traditionally accepted type of news feed that is a source of information for the Namibian literate community. A total of 30 related newspaper reports were selected and studied. Data was collected both online and from hard printed newspapers from the Namibian and the New Era newspapers. The study applied the Systematic Functional Linguistics theory as a framework for analysis. Themes that were identified and examined include the use of reporting verbs, interpersonal and textual functions related themes. Although the present study is not a psychological and behavioural study, the study is sought to investigate linguistic elements on the abuse of women and children and found men to be culpable as the most abusers. The study established that African male especially feel that beating up a woman assert their patriarchal role of power in society. The study found out that social reporting verbs were used in the writing of newspaper reports to oppress women and children. This means that the writers unknowingly glorify the male abusers while they succeed in giving information to the society. The major causes of violence against women and children were found out to be alcohol and drug abuse. When a man returns home after a night of drinking, they resort to beating women. The men tend to ignore that he is broke the next morning because he spent too much on his personal needs. The study also found out that the weapon used to commit murder against women in Namibia is a panga, a traditional knife kept in a wooden case. Guns and knives were also used to physically attack women and children. Lastly, it is still a taboo in Africa for a woman to leave her marital home because of an abusive husband. Society sees the woman as weak. The study recommends that other linguistic theories such as those of traditional, structural, or transformational grammar can be applied to similar studies. It further recommends that the violent abusive male can be studied to establish the reverse factors that contribute to the abusive physical action.