When race and gender are on focus: Discursive confrontations on social network

Abstract

The present text aims to reflect on interactional exchanges unfolded on two black women's Facebook profiles. Both have been on the spotlight on Brazilian television. Our focus is to produce knowledge regarding the discursive (re)production of race and gender-related slurs in an on-line context. Based on the assumption that language is action, we promote a dialogue with theoretical perspectives on 'race' and 'racism'. The data the study generated allow us to infer that the performative speech acts of racial and gender-related slurs point to discourses and beliefs which still construct black women as 'inferior' and 'bestial'-regardless their statuses-whose bodies are 'naturally always ready and available' to different kinds of (including verbal) assaults.