Arabic songs: an affective forum for combating COVID-19 and other insecurities

Abstract Like other literary genres, songs can be a successful outlet for achieving certain goals. Using a qualitative and descriptive approach utilizing the stancetaking framework, this study examines the development and use of more than 50 Arabic songs as a vehicle to not only inform the public about COVID-19, but also take affective stances that connect the current distressing situation of the Arab people due to COVID-19 with past hardships and crises. These stances invoke salient sociocultural values that are understood and evaluated similarly by Arab people. Evaluating and positioning the insecurity of the pandemic against insecurities of the past activates the affects and messages of the stance, which align with the evaluations and affects of the listeners. That Arab people from different countries share similar evaluations of their insecurities and invoke similar sociocultural values in response to their dreadful situations is indicative of the co-construction of a shared Arab identity through the sociocognitive intersubjectivity of the stances that are indexed to shared repertoires, sociocultural values, and affects.