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<p>Crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe have transformed global fundraising practices, particularly in response to humanitarian crises. While previous research recognizes the importance of discourse in shaping crowdfunding outcomes, comparatively little attention has been paid to how narrative and linguistic elements are mobilized to construct persuasive appeals. This study addresses this gap by examining narrative structures, rhetorical strategies, and identity construction in Gaza-related GoFundMe campaigns using a mixed-methods approach that combines Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and natural language processing (NLP). Analyzing 100 campaigns, the study identifies recurring thematic patterns centered on family needs, survival, and resilience, alongside a dominant problem–solution narrative structure that renders humanitarian crises relatable and actionable while positioning donors as morally empowered agents capable of “solving” the problem. In the problem phase of these narratives, passive and existential constructions are frequently used to background or delete responsible actors, sustaining a humanitarian register that maximizes cross-audience acceptability. The analysis further demonstrates how Aristotelian rhetorical appeals—ethos, pathos, and logos—are combined with imagery, repetition, and metaphor to elicit emotional resonance and enhance donor engagement. Identity construction operates at both individual and collective levels: personal pronouns and biographical details foreground individual experiences, while collective pronouns enable the articulation of shared suffering and a common Palestinian identity. Campaign creators often balance vulnerability and resilience, presenting themselves simultaneously as victims in need and as capable, resilient subjects. Taken together, the findings suggest that humanitarian crowdfunding discourse is shaped by broader macro-hegemonic forces that influence how crises are narrated, how responsibility is allocated, and how victims are imagined, revealing crowdfunding platforms as key sites where moral relationships and power dynamics between donors and recipients are discursively negotiated.</p>

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Narrative Structures, Rhetorical Devices, and Identity Construction in Humanitarian Crowdfunding Campaigns: A Critical Discourse Analysis Perspective

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月19日

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  • Eman Alzaanin

摘要

Crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe have transformed global fundraising practices, particularly in response to humanitarian crises. While previous research recognizes the importance of discourse in shaping crowdfunding outcomes, comparatively little attention has been paid to how narrative and linguistic elements are mobilized to construct persuasive appeals. This study addresses this gap by examining narrative structures, rhetorical strategies, and identity construction in Gaza-related GoFundMe campaigns using a mixed-methods approach that combines Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and natural language processing (NLP). Analyzing 100 campaigns, the study identifies recurring thematic patterns centered on family needs, survival, and resilience, alongside a dominant problem–solution narrative structure that renders humanitarian crises relatable and actionable while positioning donors as morally empowered agents capable of “solving” the problem. In the problem phase of these narratives, passive and existential constructions are frequently used to background or delete responsible actors, sustaining a humanitarian register that maximizes cross-audience acceptability. The analysis further demonstrates how Aristotelian rhetorical appeals—ethos, pathos, and logos—are combined with imagery, repetition, and metaphor to elicit emotional resonance and enhance donor engagement. Identity construction operates at both individual and collective levels: personal pronouns and biographical details foreground individual experiences, while collective pronouns enable the articulation of shared suffering and a common Palestinian identity. Campaign creators often balance vulnerability and resilience, presenting themselves simultaneously as victims in need and as capable, resilient subjects. Taken together, the findings suggest that humanitarian crowdfunding discourse is shaped by broader macro-hegemonic forces that influence how crises are narrated, how responsibility is allocated, and how victims are imagined, revealing crowdfunding platforms as key sites where moral relationships and power dynamics between donors and recipients are discursively negotiated.