Cross-Cultural and Gendered Pragmatic Strategies of Self-Praise Among Celebrities on Instagram: A Comparative Analysis of English and Arab Female and Male Influencers

Subject Areas : Journal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English

Majid Saleh Khalaf ¹ , Nafiseh Hosseinpour ^{2 *} , Oudah Kadhim Abed ³ , Fatemeh Karimi ⁴

1 - Department of English, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
2 - Department of English, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
3 - Department of English, College of Education for Human Sciences, Al Muthanna University, Samawah, Iraq
4 - Department of English, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

Received: 2025-05-18 Accepted : 2025-07-10 Published : 2025-09-13

Keywords: Self-praise, Pragmatics, Instagram, Gender, Cross-cultural Communication, Celebrities, Impression Management,

Abstract :

This study examines the cross-cultural and gendered variation in the pragmatic strategies of self-praise used by English and Arab celebrities on Instagram. The study seeks to establish if there are significant differences between English and Arab male and female celebrities in their use of self-praise strategies. Based on a database of 120 Instagram accounts, 30 males and 30 females in each culture, the study takes a comparative pragmatics approach in which posts are categorized for overt self-praise, covert self-praise, and humblebragging. Quantitative tests involving Chi-square tests demonstrate significant cultural differences: English male celebrities prefer using explicit self-praise, whereas Arab males prefer group- and religiously invoked strategies. Among women, English celebrities emphasize the importance of independence and self-improvement, while Arab women link their own appreciation with cultural modesty and household responsibilities. These findings illuminate the ways in which cultural values and gendered expectations influence self-presentation in computer-mediated communication.

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