The Perspectives of Thai People on the Spread of COVID-19 From Caricatures in LINE Application
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Abstract
Objectives: This research aimed to investigate Thai people’s perspectives on the spread of COVID-19 from caricatures in LINE application and to analyze the use of language that presents those perspectives using Ferdinand de Saussure’s theory of semiology.
Methods: The study was conducted in 5 steps: studying related documents and research work; collecting a total of 110 COVID-19 related caricatures from LINE application during the years 2020–2021; analyzing Thai people’s perspectives and the use of language that presents those perspectives; presenting the results in a descriptive analysis format; and summarizing and discussing the results as well as giving recommendations.
Results: The results revealed that the perspectives of Thai people on the COVID-19 pandemic could be grouped into 8 aspects: the COVID-19 disease, the COVID-19 vaccines, the government, the politics, online class instructions, occupations, the economy or life quality, and people who were COVID-19 free. In terms of the use of language in the caricatures, both verbal and non-verbal means of communication were employed. Non-verbal language was used through pictures and colors, whereas verbal language was used through the play of sounds and words as well as impolite words, ironies, overstatements, words with a twist, name distortions, quotations, metaphors, comparative statements, visual metaphors, rhetorical questions and parallel statements. Such usage implied the Thai people’s perspective upon the COVID-19 outbreak through the use of comic relief, caricature and satire. This demonstrated the ability to implement humor to reduce stress and alleviate the tension of controversial issues, especially those related to criticism against the Thai government.
Application of this study: The use of language found in this research can be applied to create caricatures, satire and sarcasm in various types of media.
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