Citizen journalism is a relatively new term, especially in many non-western parts of the world. It is best known to make it easier for people to share information and stories with the rest of the...Show moreCitizen journalism is a relatively new term, especially in many non-western parts of the world. It is best known to make it easier for people to share information and stories with the rest of the world through online platforms. The negative sides of citizen journalism are however sometimes hard to overlook, especially in situations where citizen journalism may completely replace the mainstream media. This can be seen to have happened during the 2007 Kenyan presidential election crisis, when the elections took a violent turn.Show less
Sub Saharan Africa has recently enjoyed high economic growth rates. Many economists and developmentalists now consider that Africa is rising. Trade is seen as the prominent reason for this growth...Show moreSub Saharan Africa has recently enjoyed high economic growth rates. Many economists and developmentalists now consider that Africa is rising. Trade is seen as the prominent reason for this growth in gross domestic product and aid has slowly been phased out. Trade within the foreign aid debate has acquired many supporters. However behind these economic growth figures human development and inequality are still large issues. In this thesis it will be examined to what extent trade as the opposite of aid leads to increased human development and equality. The text explores the problems associated with aid, the focus on foreign investment and economic growth without an increase in human development or equality. It will be established that solely trade does not increase human development or equality. It is hoped this study will provide insight into how economic growth and declining human development and equality rates can exist side by side.Show less
In the context of the upcoming elections in Kenya in August 2017, debates on Twitter have highlighted the gap between the political elite’s electoral agenda and the population’s daily struggles of...Show moreIn the context of the upcoming elections in Kenya in August 2017, debates on Twitter have highlighted the gap between the political elite’s electoral agenda and the population’s daily struggles of surviving and coping with harsh realities. Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, recently launched an online campaign calling for voters registration – #UhuruDabChallenge – which was met with fierce protestations online, formalised under the #DabOfShame. This thesis will analyse the framing of this clash of priorities on Twitter by looking at the spread and use of one hashtag in particular – #DabOfShame – and one of the subtheme the #KOT community highlighted, that is the country’s hunger and drought crises. Indeed, analysing the #DabOfShame highlights the gap between the state discourse and the subsequent online responses, which has a huge impact on the way pertaining daily issues and their realities are depicted online. In particular, looking at Kenya’s most salient and recurrent difficulties – the hunger and drought crises – pinpoints how the users shed light on the problems, thus “framing” an opposition of concerns, and pushing the political elite to address them. Interestingly, the users and content analysis of this specific hashtag give insights into the political socialisation processes that Twitter enables and the platform it provides for the Kenyan connected generation to express its grievances in the everyday context. Eventually, this can inform discussions on the possibility of social media to influence the government’s agenda and produce a united common front in a context of political polarisation. This, however, also reveals concerning trends in the way Twitter is used by the political elite in Kenya, in particular by its president, which suggests that social media are possibly developing into new podiums on which political legitimacy is fought and gained.Show less
On the basis of identity theory, this thesis analyses three films directed by Karim Dridi regarding the representation of the North African diaspora in France. These analyses will be put next to...Show moreOn the basis of identity theory, this thesis analyses three films directed by Karim Dridi regarding the representation of the North African diaspora in France. These analyses will be put next to the representations provided by dominant French discourse to conclude that the the latter takes a less comprehensive approach towards including the North African diaspora and representing them.Show less
The focus of this thesis is on the influence of the Fair Trade and Fair Chain programs on the condition of Ethiopian coffee farmers, looking at the social, economic and environmental conditions.
After the Arab Spring, social media have been attributed great potential for democratization and enhanced political accountability, which has raised hopes for Africa’s stagnant democracies....Show moreAfter the Arab Spring, social media have been attributed great potential for democratization and enhanced political accountability, which has raised hopes for Africa’s stagnant democracies. Research is, however, inconclusive on whether this potential is seized and what this means in practice. Moreover, no research on political accountability in Africa has used social media as a primary source yet. Therefore I have studied the everyday Nigerian political accountability dynamics on social media as participant observer for 75 days. The observations exhibited four important shifts in accountability dynamics on social media away from traditional, offline accountability practices. First, social media has created an incessant and two-directional accountability cycle in which citizens find a unified voice through hashtags and the government replies to accountability demands instantly. Secondly, social media facilitate the traditionally much sought proximity between citizens and their leaders, as a channel for complaining, reassurance and interaction. Third, clientelist accountability dynamics have shifted from only demands for private and club goods, to mostly demands for collective and public goods, despite some deviations. Lastly, social media also allowed for slacktivism, but this did not inhibit the success of one online campaign. These shifts are significant, as they strengthen political accountability and thus democracy, even though the limits of the impact of online accountability and its meaning to the average Nigerian put the democratizing powers of social media in perspective. The observations nevertheless highlight the new opportunities and new dimensions to traditional accountability in Nigeria, and possibly Africa, enabled and channelled by social media.Show less
