Keywords
boosters
cultural values
informative social media postings
interactional metadiscourse
How to Cite
Abstract
This study investigates the strategic use of boosters, a type of interactional metadiscourse, in informative social media postings within the culturally diverse contexts of Malaysia and Singapore. Drawing on Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions, this qualitative study examines 30 informative social media (Instagram) postings from two private medical centres: Subang Jaya Medical Centre and Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Both private medical centres strategically use boosters to highlight expertise, assert authority, and influence the public’s perception, particularly in promoting advanced technology and positive health outcomes. Due to the cultural differences, the use of booster varies between these two, with Malaysia favouring superlatives and Singapore employing more affective language, reflecting the influence of cultural and market factors. This study highlights the persuasive nature of the informative social media postings and the healthcare industry's reliance on assertive language to establish credibility and influence health-related decisions. This study contributes to an understanding of how cultural differences and genre conventions intersect in shaping persuasive language within online healthcare communication.
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