The Pragmatic Analysis of the Concept of “Feminism” in Spoken Arabic Language from Saudi Adults’ Perspectives

This paper aimed to identify the pragmatic analysis of the concept of “feminism” in spoken Arabic from young male and female Saudi adults’ perspectives in Riyadh. The significance of this research is to increase people’s awareness of the different pragmatic analyses of the concept of feminism in the spoken Arabic language. This research is designed to answer the following research questions: RQ1: What is the pragmatic analysis of the concept of “feminism” in spoken Arabic from young male and female Saudi adults’ perspectives in Riyadh? RQ2: What are the differences between young male and female Saudi adults in terms of using the concept of “feminism” in the spoken Arabic language in Riyadh? Six Saudi young adults from the middle class participated in this research: three males and three females. The data was collected through conversation recording. After recording, the conversation was translated, transcribed, and analyzed according to pragmatics analysis and Sperber and Wilson’s Relevance Theory (1986). The findings showed eight different positive and negative pragmatic analyses of the concept of feminism. Male participants, for instance, described it as destructive and a sign of danger, whereas female participants described it as liberating and supportive. The findings showed that male participants viewed this concept negatively, whereas female participants viewed it vice versa. The researcher attributed that difference to biological, psychological, traditional, and cultural differences. This study contributes to the pragmatic field and the Saudi community by increasing awareness of the concept of “feminism.”