With approximately 19.8 million copies sold, Call of Duty: WWII is the most popular WWII first-person shooter video game of all time. Given its popularity, the way the developers portray WWII is...Show moreWith approximately 19.8 million copies sold, Call of Duty: WWII is the most popular WWII first-person shooter video game of all time. Given its popularity, the way the developers portray WWII is crucial to consider as studies have shown that information in fictional messages has the ability to alter people's perspectives. This is especially true when it comes to narratives provided within single player experiences. Therefore, this thesis provides a qualitative content analysis of the single player campaign mode in Call of Duty: WWII and focuses on narrative elements including conflict/theater of war, locations, player character, friendly non-playable characters, enemy characters and interactable objects. The analysis concludes that the game presents a narrow and US centric view of WWII. However, weapons, equipment, vehicles and locations were found to be represented historically accurately with a substantial amount of detail. Furthermore, it was discovered that the primary cast had been heroized, which can result in a romanticized interpretation of the conflictShow less
This thesis makes use of framing theory in order to analyze and evaluate the ways in which the media reported on the 'migrant crisis' in both the year 2015 and the year 2022. The investigation is...Show moreThis thesis makes use of framing theory in order to analyze and evaluate the ways in which the media reported on the 'migrant crisis' in both the year 2015 and the year 2022. The investigation is conducted in the form of a case study that investigates, in great detail, how the German quality daily newspaper 'Die Süddeutsche Zeitung' covered the two crises. As a result of Germany's prominent participation in both crises and its continued ability to influence European policy responses, particularly in 2015, the country was selected as the focus of the case study. The idea of framing indicates that there is a direct relationship between the way an issue is portrayed in the media and the impact that it may have on public opinion. As the number of people migrating into the European Union continues to rise, the subject of migration and the media is becoming an increasingly important issue. For this reason, it is essential to have a solid understanding of how the media organizes information and how it did so throughout these two crises. This will allow one to determine whether or not there were any changes and, if so, what those differences may have been caused by.Show less
Abstract This thesis explores the connection between the two driving forces behind the phenomena women’s empowerment and gender equality in the Arab Gulf region. These driving forces are (1)...Show moreAbstract This thesis explores the connection between the two driving forces behind the phenomena women’s empowerment and gender equality in the Arab Gulf region. These driving forces are (1) international (Western) standards (top-down approach) and (2) efforts by Arab women themselves (bottom-up approach). The social change, which has taken place in the recent years, has created new spaces and visibility for Arab Gulf women. However, it is argued with a postcolonial feminist theoretical framework that international development standards and Western liberal & Orientalist narratives often overshadow Arab Muslim women’s agency in their liberation by portraying them as oppressed and silent. As such, the existence and role of Islamic feminism is analysed to challenge these Western liberal & Orientalist narratives. This study employs various case studies as its qualitative research method, which are spread between two analytical chapters which provide a critical discourse analysis of the two approaches outlined above. Analysis of the top-down approach discusses the existing international framework of female empowerment and gender equality and relates it to the UAE as regional case study. Analysis of the bottom-up approach discusses the case of Saudi Muslim women’s rights activist Manal al-Sharif to challenge both the national patriarchal and Western neoliberal narratives, which belittle women’s agency in their own increasing empowerment. Ultimately, this thesis will focus on a how female empowerment as a regional phenomenon can be analysed within a global context.Show less
More than 95%. This is the highly alarming number of incidents of sexual violence in Japan that are not reported to the police according to a study from 2018.1 In fact, in Japan, sexual crimes...Show moreMore than 95%. This is the highly alarming number of incidents of sexual violence in Japan that are not reported to the police according to a study from 2018.1 In fact, in Japan, sexual crimes continue to carry a heavy stigma and society’s approach to it remains sexist and archaic.2 From 2017, #MeToo, a hashtag constituted of two simple but powerful words has travelled around the world enabling women to voice their allegations of sex crimes. This movement could have been the opportunity to break the silence about sexual violence in Japan, nonetheless, it did not seem to take root in the country. This thesis aims to shed light on the struggle endured by victims of sexual violence in Japan who dared to speak up in a society unwilling to understand their pain. This thesis intends to dive into this matter and analyse how the adverse reactions to allegations of sex crimes reflect Japanese society’s stance toward the #MeToo movement.Show less
This thesis examines the link between localization strategies used by the Pokémon franchise and cultural debates that are related to certain instances from the games and anime. The link between...Show moreThis thesis examines the link between localization strategies used by the Pokémon franchise and cultural debates that are related to certain instances from the games and anime. The link between larger societal issues and the debates that discuss these issues will be examined through these localized instances within media of the Pokémon franchise.Show less
Woman, Life, Freedom] was one of the most used hashtags in 2022, and[ زن، زندگی، آزادی tweets regarding Mahsa Aminis’ death amounted by the end of 2022 to more than 300 million tweets (Walters 2022...Show moreWoman, Life, Freedom] was one of the most used hashtags in 2022, and[ زن، زندگی، آزادی tweets regarding Mahsa Aminis’ death amounted by the end of 2022 to more than 300 million tweets (Walters 2022). To contextualise, Black Lives Matter generated around 63 million tweets over a six-year span, and tweets regarding the Ukraine war occurred around 250 million times in English. So, the hashtags concerning the most recent political upheavals in Iran have outstripped English-speaking tweets regarding the war in Ukraine in only a month (Walters .)2022 Mentioned protests have according to various sources resulted in more than 500 deaths and an estimated 15.000 – 20.000 protestors have been arrested by January 2023 (Paivandi 2022; von Hein 2023). Such arrests also specifically target journalists, with known 70 journalists having been arrested since the start of the protests in September 2022, of which 28 are still being held in detention and possibly facing sentencing (Iran International staff 2023). Despite the direct targeting of protestors and reporters, there remains a great social media presence, along with considerable attention in more traditional media outlets. Specifically in Germany, in which a large part of the European diaspora resides. Thus, the recent uprisings in Iran have led to an increase in interest in German media in Iran, specifically regarding the role of women in this current protest movement. Intimately connected to such interest is the debate about the freedom of Iranian women and their right to veil or unveil. The following research paper will therefore investigate the reporting of German media outlets on the recent political upheavals in Iran and focus on what narratives exist about Iranian women within that coverage. In addition to that, the existing narrative construction about Iranian women will be related to the German self-referential aspect in media coverage, as both matters are intrinsically linked. Accordingly, the following paper will attempt to highlight the narratives concerning the reporting on Iranian women and how such narratives are related to a specific German self-image.Show less
