A Genre Analysis of Algerian and Jordanian Obituary Announcements

Abstract

The study investigates the generic structure of 240 Algerian and Jordanian obituary announcements published on Facebook with the purpose of identifying, describing and analyzing their structure, generic component, and communicative functions. The study adopts a mixed method approach, including both quantitative and qualitative methods -with more emphasis on the latter- couched within the Bhatia (1993) genre analysis framework. The qualitative analysis helps in understanding the underlying process and details of obituary writings. The quantitative analysis provides the frequencies and identifies the structural order of the rhetorical moves. The study reveals the similarities and differences between Facebook obituaries in both societies. The results show that: (i) Algerian and Jordanian obituaries consist of eleven generic moves (1-11); (ii) While Algerian and Jordanian obituaries share some similarities in Moves (1-6), they differ in Moves (7-9) with some additional differences noted in Moves (10) and (11); (iii) Religion and socio-economic statuses are two key factors in composing the Algerian and Jordanian obituaries. This study provides an original contribution and fills a gap in the literature of Facebook obituaries in both Algerian and Jordanian contexts, addressing an unexplored area. Future cross-cultural research is required to spot any cross-cultural similarities or contrasts among these announcements within different religious and ethnic groups, whether in Algeria (Amazigh), Jordan (Kurds or Armenians) and / or in other Arabic contexts.