A socio-linguistic study of student graffiti-writings in UNRWA schools, Jordan

Other Title(s)

دراسة لغوية اجتماعية لكتابة الطلاب الغرافيتية في مدارس وكالة الغوث الدولية-الأردن

Dissertant

al-Hajj Id, Umar Abd Allah Abd Allah

Thesis advisor

Musafir, Abd al-Jabbar

University

Philadelphia University

Faculty

Faculty of Arts

Department

Department of English Language and Literature

University Country

Jordan

Degree

Master

Degree Date

2008

English Abstract

-The study aims at investigating student graffiti-writings in UNRWA schools, Jordan, from a sociolinguistic perspective particularly in relation to the fourteen language functions expressed in the present research of subjects' graffiti-writings.

In addition, the study examines some linguistic (phonological, lexical and syntactic) features of student graffiti- writings.

A total of (2863) texts have been collected from (21) urban, camp and rural elementary and preparatory schools during April 2007 to February 2008.

Different variables have been taken into consideration such as standardness and nonstandardness, gender differences, geographical location, age and surface.

The data analysis has shown that student graffiti- writings are functional, fulfilling fourteen language functions reported in a descended order from the most to the least frequent language function.

The analysis shows that expressing patriotism is the most frequent language function constituting 12.4% of the overall number of texts in the examined data, whereas leaving memoirs is the least frequent language function making up 1.3% of the total percentage.

The analysis has also shown that 67.6% of the total amount of the student graffiti-writings is done by male students compared with 42.4% for female students.

The study has proved that female students show greater tendency to approximate towards standard Arabic than do male students.

Standard Arabic forms used by elementary students amount to 88.1%.

The texts written on school building asset record the highest frequency of occurrence representing 54.3% compared with bathrooms ix 29, 7% and surrounding walls 16% of the total number of the texts in the examined corpus.

The amount of graffiti reported in camps exceeds these of rural and urban schools forming 39.4% compared with 35.2% and 25.4% for rural and urban areas respectively.

The amount of taboo words and swearwords reported by male students outnumber female students’ revealing that female students show more politeness than do male students.

The linguistic analysis of data shows that simplicity is a salient linguistic feature of student graffiti-writings.

Students are prone to use simple sentences as this type of sentence is not time-consuming.

This is, evidently, an expected feature, taking the surrounding circumstances into consideration.

The use of statement type is also a salient attribute due to its informative nature.

Alliteration and rhyming are used by the subjects of the study as attention-getting devices.

Finally, the study recommends that further studies be conducted on stylistic and textual features of graffiti-writings in Jordan in general and in other Jordanian educational institutions in particular.

Main Subjects

Languages & Comparative Literature

Topics

• Sociolinguistics
• Jordan

No. of Pages

110

Table of Contents

• APA
• MLA
• AMA

Language

English

Data Type

Arab Theses

Record ID

BIM-546286