Abstract:

The purpose of the presentation is to introduce the results of the study on public awareness regarding hate speech and educational measures for its prevention. The focus group of the study includes third-country nationals living in Latvia, who belong to different informational spaces and social bubbles, and their understanding of hate speech, especially following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which intensified manifestations of hate speech.

The study results will highlight the issue of understanding the concept of hate speech. The ability of the focus group to recognize the structures of hate speech will be analysed. Recommendations will be developed for the content of innovative educational programmes in lifelong learning and non-formal education on the prevention of hate speech in geopolitical conflict situations.

Hate speech is a (quasi-)communicative phenomenon. It more frequently manifests itself in a polysegmental society and becomes particularly prominent in geopolitical conflict situations that affect one or more societal segments (ethnic, religious, linguistic, etc.). Most frequently, hate speech is anonymized, which accelerates the circulation and infiltration of hate speech clichés and original content into communicative acts. Hate speech can be both a cause of conflict and a projection of it; it has far-reaching and dangerous impacts on human rights. The performative modes of hate speech are more prominently reflected in informal communication and digital environment. These can trigger a viral chain reaction in the form of public outrage, accusations and insults.

Hate speech can also be deliberately generated to pit groups and segments of society against one another, leading to violent moral or physical escalation, hate crimes, genocide, and other forms of conflict. It can also be used unconsciously, as part of social “mythology” narrative of a societal segment, by repeating clichés and stereotypes within a social bubble. Identifying, preventing, and combating hate speech affects not only the dignity and human rights of the target but also the self-respect and societal positioning of the perpetrator. Hate speech triggers and reveals dangerous divisions within society, impacting participation and inclusion processes, and exposing “blind spots” in the media literacy of the population.

In interpersonal communication and on social networks, hate speech often targets ethnic and linguistic relations between communities of third-country nationals, controversially labelling the object and the subject of the hate speech. This becomes particularly intense in situations of geopolitical conflict, especially when these conflicts occur in neighbouring countries. To avoid manifestations of hate speech, it is essential to carry out educational measures of preventing hate speech in society, particularly in segments that could be affected by these conflicts and potentially included in groups identified as subjects or objects of hate speech. Educational hate speech prevention measures must be implemented by developing and introducing innovative lifelong learning and non-formal education programmes.

Keywords:

Hate speech, third-country nationals, non-formal education, hate speech prevention.