This thesis seeks to answer the question, “how has the Counter-Jihad Movement (CJM) maintained their ideology online?” The purpose of this is to explore the means in which the movement and their...Show moreThis thesis seeks to answer the question, “how has the Counter-Jihad Movement (CJM) maintained their ideology online?” The purpose of this is to explore the means in which the movement and their associated digital platforms preserve their beliefs and values. The narrative adopted by the CJM exploits topics that are considered divisive amongst the public like terrorism, security, immigration, and the position of Muslim citizens to help affirm their relevancy. Additionally, the CJM engages in normalizing their rhetoric so as to lose the general reputation of being extremist and racist, and thus gain more widespread support. This topic was chosen considering the position of social media and its increasing influence in social movements (SMs) and the current societal and political relevance of the CJM. To understand the counter-jihad discourse, framing theory will be employed —namely the three core framing tasks, diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational framing.Show less
In the last couple of years, scholars have been arguing a decline in political participation, especially among young people. The Fridays for Future movement with thousands of young climate strikers...Show moreIn the last couple of years, scholars have been arguing a decline in political participation, especially among young people. The Fridays for Future movement with thousands of young climate strikers counters these statements. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the facilitating role of social media on youth political participation. This thesis analyses how social media contributes to the formation of a collective group identity of social movements, which in turn could lead to collective political action. To answer this question, content analysis of comments on three Instagram posts by Fridays for Madrid have been used, looking at the four foundations of collective group identity: solidarity, emotional attachment, group cohesion and activist-based identification. The results demonstrate the facilitating function of social media in the formation of collective group identity, by enabling more easily and frequently interaction between participants and the social movement compared to offline social movement activities.Show less
This Bachelor's thesis explores the role and function of the culturally and politically embedded historical event of the French Revolution on the contemporary social movement of the Gilets Jaunes....Show moreThis Bachelor's thesis explores the role and function of the culturally and politically embedded historical event of the French Revolution on the contemporary social movement of the Gilets Jaunes. It elaborates on how the idea and the importance of the French Revolution in French societal and political culture has created the opportunity for the Gilets Jaunes to establish and grow their movement.Show less
For three decades, loyalist militias, republican paramilitaries and the British Army fought against each other with Northern Ireland as their battlefield, the cities Belfast and Derry in particular...Show moreFor three decades, loyalist militias, republican paramilitaries and the British Army fought against each other with Northern Ireland as their battlefield, the cities Belfast and Derry in particular. Daily life was often severely interrupted by bombings, shootings, house searches and vehicle checks. Even though a peace agreement was achieved just before the turn of the 21st century, the country continues to experience a clear sectarian divide. Worldwide, many states are faced with similar problems of political or religious divides, often resulting in violence. Solutions to this type of violence are much debated and sought after, meaning that investigations into previous conflicts and how these were handled, or perhaps could have been prevented, are still of great importance, even decades after. Why did the Northern Irish conflict, referred to as ‘the Troubles’, continue to wage on for so long? Why were the combined efforts of the Northern Irish and British governments unable to control the violence that was taking over their country?Show less
This academic work deeply analyses the hybridity between online and offline political participation in Western Europe. This is made through the application of new critical theory and the latest...Show moreThis academic work deeply analyses the hybridity between online and offline political participation in Western Europe. This is made through the application of new critical theory and the latest political and philosophical works of Chantal Mouffe and Zygmunt Bauman. The aim of this work is to portray its case study of #EndTamponTax as the exemplification of new waves and forms of political hybridity affecting the Western European polities.Show less
Populism in ideological sense focuses on the division within society between the common citizen who are opposing the elite. The common people disagree with the elite as they think that the elite...Show morePopulism in ideological sense focuses on the division within society between the common citizen who are opposing the elite. The common people disagree with the elite as they think that the elite are only acting after their own interest. A political party family that avail themselves of this populist outlook is the populist radical right, which has made a firm presence in the political arena of Western Europe since the 1990s. However, a country that is absent in this particular party family is Spain. Since the 1990s no populist radical right party has gained popularity in Spain. Moreover, in 2014 Podemos was established, a populist party maintaining a radical left-wing perspective. This thesis focuses on the question why in Spain a populist party with a radical left-wing outlook appeared, while in other countries in Western Europe the populist radical right party family has been evidently present. This thesis emphasizes the essential differences between left and right-wing populism when applying the theoretical framework of demand and supply factors to the Spanish citizens and Podemos, at the time the political party arose. This thesis states that at the time Podemos made their appearance there was a demand visible among the Spanish citizens for a left-wing populist party. Additionally, a part of the political preference for Podemos were based on these demands. Finally, regarding the way Podemos responded to the demand, i.e. the supply factor, the focus on political communication by the initiators of Podemos is highlighted.Show less
Abstract: There has been an ongoing academic debate on whether the use of the internet is either positive or negative for citizen engagement and/or political participation. The role the internet...Show moreAbstract: There has been an ongoing academic debate on whether the use of the internet is either positive or negative for citizen engagement and/or political participation. The role the internet has on political participation can be divided into three domains: its use as a communication source, its use as a communication medium, and its use as a virtual public sphere. Scholars that argue against the positive role of the internet on political participation find in their research of these domains that the internet doesn’t drastically increase citizen engagement. Therefore, they see the internet as an inefficient method of increasing political participation. However, this thesis is departure from previous studies as it does not measure success as the increase of new citizen engagement, but instead sees the increase of participation by those citizens that are already politically engaged as a success. This study examines how the internet can be used for politically engaged citizens to keep informed of parliamentary democracy through Parliamentary Monitoring Websites (PMWs). Parliamentary Monitoring Websites play a pivotal role in strengthening parliamentary democracy and these PMWs have been made possible by the evolution of information and communications technologies (ICTs). This thesis explores how the different innovations of ICTS have contributed to strengthening parliamentary democracy by studying current Parliamentary Monitoring Websites in the United Kingdom.Show less
