This thesis analyzes what academic literature describes as a so-called "GID discourse", which arose in Japan in the late 1990s and strongly changed how transgender people came to be seen and...Show moreThis thesis analyzes what academic literature describes as a so-called "GID discourse", which arose in Japan in the late 1990s and strongly changed how transgender people came to be seen and treated. This discourse, related to the medical term Gender Identity Disorder (性同一性障害, seidōitsuseishōgai), is generally problematized for pathologizing transness, reinforcing binary gender norms, and privileging some trans people over others. Academic texts on the topic tend to treat the emergence of this discourse as something that happened to Japan's trans population, without exploring the role played by trans people themselves. Using Critical Discourse Analysis as its primary methodology and dealing primarily with texts produced by trans people, this thesis demonstrates how trans people helped spread and institutionalize the "GID discourse", but also how it has been, and increasingly is, opposed by trans people. The thesis argues that the pathologizing discourse acted as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it made big socio-political changes possible that positively affected many trans people in Japan. Key examples are the legalization of sex reassignment surgery and the ability to change one's legal gender. On the other hand, the discourse serves as a conduit for social structures such as trans-, hetero- and cisnormativity, that negatively affect trans people.Show less
This paper conceptualizes the framing theory in media, with an emphasis on valence framing in media evaluating the issue presented in a negative or positive light. Then, followed by a comprehensive...Show moreThis paper conceptualizes the framing theory in media, with an emphasis on valence framing in media evaluating the issue presented in a negative or positive light. Then, followed by a comprehensive conceptualization of Chinese capital outflow in different forms of financial, human, and intellectual capital in Global China, situating the capital outflow as an internal part of the international world economy. Building on this conceptual framework through valence framing the concept of Global China in Dutch news reports will be examined. This study aims to see the different forms and aspects of Global China in Dutch media presented in a negative or positive framing creating an underlying narrative. The dataset of this study is 29 digital news reports chosen from Dutch media organizations' NOS and NRC covering the concept. The dataset is explored through the methodology of the three stages of critical discourse analysis, looking at textual, discursive, and contextual elements of Global China in valence-framed Dutch news reports. I argue throughout my examination that, although Global China as a concept is present in different forms and aspects in Dutch media, the concept is highly politicized when it is framed negatively.Show less
The thesis explores the complexities of how the Islamic Republic of Iran constructs a narrative of justification for its active involvement in the Palestinian issue. The 1979 Islamic Revolution...Show moreThe thesis explores the complexities of how the Islamic Republic of Iran constructs a narrative of justification for its active involvement in the Palestinian issue. The 1979 Islamic Revolution acted as a crucial milestone in shaping Iran's perspective on its relations with Israel. By framing the Palestinian conflict as a moral struggle against Western powers, Iran's goal is to provide a legitimate ideological footing for its activities. Employing Critical Discourse Analysis, the thesis analyzes Iran's narrative construction, devoting special attention to identity politics and geopolitical rivalries within a global context.Show less
This thesis examines the role of war metaphors in the political discourse of extreme right political figures: Donald Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy and how they shape the extreme right ideology of the...Show moreThis thesis examines the role of war metaphors in the political discourse of extreme right political figures: Donald Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy and how they shape the extreme right ideology of the Make America Great Again Movement (MAGA). War metaphors are rhetorical devices used in everyday language to communicate abstract ideas using more broadly understood domains like war and promote societal salience. The analysis of militarism in society and politics is foundational to the Critical Military Studies discipline, however, there has been little engagement with the study of war metaphors and their influence on polarisation in democracies, which this thesis aims to address. The thesis performs a Critical Metaphor Analysis, which integrates the disciplines of Conceptual Metaphor Theory with Critical Discourse Analysis. The analysis of discourse considers a 3-month collection of tweets since 1 January 2024 to examine war metaphors in informal political discourse in the months nearing United States presidential elections. The analysis finds the employment of war metaphors to primarily manifest in three ways: language of attack, language of defence, and adoption of militarism and patriotism. These forms of war metaphors depart from the traditional use of war metaphors to motivate the acceptance of violence and promote a climate of affective polarisation. The prominence of war metaphors in MAGA discourse is observed to promote the acceptance of authoritarian politics and mobilise violent action, which all serves to erode democracy in an established liberal democracy like the United States.Show less
Since 2009, northeastern states in Nigeria have been heavily plagued by the insurgency group Boko Haram. Additionally, an upsurge in recruitment and radicalization among Nigerian youth can be...Show moreSince 2009, northeastern states in Nigeria have been heavily plagued by the insurgency group Boko Haram. Additionally, an upsurge in recruitment and radicalization among Nigerian youth can be observed. Subsequently, fear and distrust in youth among communities arise, where young Nigerians are perceived as inherently dangerous, feared to be involved with Boko Haram. The emergence this stereotype has profound implications for the position of youth in society and prompts questions regarding the factors that contribute to the perpetuation of this stereotype. Therefore, this research aims to explore how youth in northeast Nigeria are portrayed through public and policy discourse, especially in regards to Boko Haram. Employing Critical Discourse Analysis as the methodological framework, this research critically scrutinizesif the Nigerian media, politicians and policymakers depict youth as a threat to society. Findings of the discourse analysis reveal a prevailing negative rhetoric surrounding youth in northeast Nigeria. They are presented as a demographic who are often unemployed and excluded from society. Additionally, young Nigerians are consistently associated with recruitment, radicalization, crimes and involvement in violent extremist groups such as Boko Haram. All these components appear interconnected, revealing a vicious cycle of stigmatization and violence. Drawing upon securitization theory, this research concludes that media, policymakers and politicians wield their influence to portray youth as a threatening actor to society, contributing to the perpetuation of a detrimental narrative that further fuels stigmatization and marginalization of youth in northeast Nigeria.Show less
This thesis aims to further refine the existing academic knowledge about the framing of refugees by conducting a critical discourse analysis focused on the portrayal of Ukrainian refugees at a...Show moreThis thesis aims to further refine the existing academic knowledge about the framing of refugees by conducting a critical discourse analysis focused on the portrayal of Ukrainian refugees at a subnational level in East and West German newspapers utilizing securitization theory as a theoretical framework (n=48). The analysis found that Ukrainians are framed from a German-centric perspective. On the one hand, they are framed as vulnerable, requiring German aid. On the other hand, their mass migration into Germany is associated with challenges and threats utilized in securitizing moves. This suggests that the frequently cited victim and threat frames are not as mutually exclusive as previous academic literature suggests. Moreover, the threats utilized in securitizing moves are nonexistential, supporting calls for broadening the securitization framework. Contrary to what the initial hypothesis would suggest, no significant differences in the portrayal of Ukrainian refugees between Eastern and Western German newspapers were observed.Show less
Donald Trump has frequently been labelled an idiosyncratic aberration and has equally been accused of breaking with American foreign policy tradition. However, by applying the foreign policy...Show moreDonald Trump has frequently been labelled an idiosyncratic aberration and has equally been accused of breaking with American foreign policy tradition. However, by applying the foreign policy traditions uncovered by Mead (Wilsonianism, Hamiltonianism, Jeffersonianism and Jacksonianism), scholars began arguing that Trump was perfectly traditional because he adhered to one or more of these historic traditions. Simultaneously, scholars argued that Trump rejected the myth of American exceptionalism that informs said traditions. This begs the question of how one can be traditional, yet also reject their foundational myth. Scholars had failed to consider these two facets in tandem, and had only focussed on Trump’s campaign and early presidency therefore failing to provide a prudent analysis of Trump’s entire foreign policy. This thesis aimed to rectified both by asking the following question: how has Trump’s re-interpretation of American exceptionalism influenced the utilisation of the dominant traditions in American foreign policy in his foreign policy discourse? Through the use of a critical geopolitical analysis, it was uncovered that Trump redefined American exceptionalism to an conditional state of objective greatness that only he could achieve and maintain, rather than an inherent trait. This allowed him to argue that his predecessors had made America unexceptional, stirring feelings of betrayal that he could then mobilise for his own political gain. This demagogic ‘exceptional me 2.0’ strategy shaped his application of all the four traditions wherein he blames Wilsonianism for American decline and aims to rally disappointed Hamiltonians, Jeffersonians and Jacksonians against them in order to effectuate a great reset of American foreign policy and domestic politics.Show less
This study carried out a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of 120 articles from American and international news outlets to uncover the framing of legitimacy of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests...Show moreThis study carried out a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of 120 articles from American and international news outlets to uncover the framing of legitimacy of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in 2020. Language mechanisms, such as the framing and sourcing of both BLM activists and law enforcement were considered, tallied and analysed from differing news outlets such as CNN, Fox News, New York Times, China Daily, NOS and BBC. It concludes that overall, all outlets are found to frame the BLM protests as illegitimate - as they are unacceptable according to the law. However, the degree to which they engage in this discourse differs substantially between each network and so with it, the manner in which these protests were framed as justifiable. The results from international media also provides interesting insight into how BLM is perceived from third parties and each network was found with their own biases and inclinations. This study preposes that to a large degree, news coverage regarding BLM both in the US and beyond proves significantly biased in relation to outlets’ own political stances and origins.Show less
The media has played a centripetal role in shaping public opinion and setting domestic and foreign affairs agendas. The Republic of Turkey is a ubiquitous factor in Greek historiography, nation...Show moreThe media has played a centripetal role in shaping public opinion and setting domestic and foreign affairs agendas. The Republic of Turkey is a ubiquitous factor in Greek historiography, nation-building processes, and foreign security policy. Throughout their unstable and fluctuating relations, the Greco – Turkish dyad has received copious media attention. In 2019 Turkey and Libya signed a maritime exclusive economic zone (EEZ) Memorandum of Understanding. Such a settlement allegedly balked the EU's planned project to enhance the EastMed pipeline and violated Greece's EEZ, consequently causing an intense media reaction throughout Greece. This thesis applies Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to the publications of Kathimerini and Ta Nea, Greece's most widely read daily newspapers. The analysis brings insight into the media's sociopolitical role, its position regarding the citizenry and the state, and Turkey's importance as an external agent that reinforces the Greeks' in-group cohesion. Considering Aristotelian topoi to approach CDA, the analysis indicates that the Greek media's narrative on the Turkey-Libya settlement frames (i) Turkey as a threatening 'other,' (ii) portrays Greece as the referent object, and (iii) rejects the validity of such a settlement under international law, reinforcing the previous two points.Show less
Metaphors are linguistic, rhetorical devices that have the ability to increase effectiveness of the perception by adding comprehensibility and relatability, thus boosting persuasion. Strategic...Show moreMetaphors are linguistic, rhetorical devices that have the ability to increase effectiveness of the perception by adding comprehensibility and relatability, thus boosting persuasion. Strategic manoeuvring by means of metaphor in political speeches is quite common, yet, only little awareness exists on the subject, especially in the political realm, which is why it is crucial to increase knowledge on this subject. The general purpose of this study is to increase knowledge of the strategic use of metaphors of US Republican and Democratic presidents’ inaugural speeches in the past 20 years, employing Critical Discourse Analysis to address how the strategic use of metaphors compares between the (first) inaugural addresses of President G.W. Bush, President Obama, President Trump, and President Biden, and how these metaphors function. The metaphors in the speeches were identified using existing literature and Lakoff’s Master Metaphor List (1991). Findings revealed that all four presidents’ most frequent conceptual metaphors were the journey, object, building, and war metaphors, which may be explained by both their high rate of conventionalisation and their exceptional rhetorical properties. Furthermore, the Democratic presidents used more different types of metaphors than the Republican presidents did. The Democratic and Republican Presidents used roughly the same number of metaphors relative to their speeches’ word counts. A follow-up analysis may help gain insights on whether voters’ perceptions of presidents are influenced by the inaugural addresses and the role of metaphors and other rhetorical tools in the political genre.Show less
Dit BA-eindwerkstuk gaat over de framing van zwarte en witte vrouwelijke atleten in verschillende Nederlandse kranten. De hoofdvraag die centraal staat is: In hoeverre worden zwarte en witte...Show moreDit BA-eindwerkstuk gaat over de framing van zwarte en witte vrouwelijke atleten in verschillende Nederlandse kranten. De hoofdvraag die centraal staat is: In hoeverre worden zwarte en witte vrouwelijke atleten verschillend geframed in Nederlandse kranten?. De kranten waarvoor de framing bekeken wordt, zijn de Volkskrant, het Algemeen Dagblad (AD) en De Telegraaf. Er is voor deze kranten gekozen omdat ze van oudsher verschillen op ideologisch gebied; de Volkskrant kan links op het politieke spectrum geplaats worden; het AD midden; en De Telegraaf rechts. In totaal zijn er 10 artikelen van elke krant meegenomen. Het corpus heeft dus in totaal een grootte van 30 artikelen waarvan de artikelen verspreid waren over de jaren van 2013 tot en met 2019. De framing voor de twee atleetgroepen is onderzocht aan de hand van een aangepaste versie van de (kwalitatieve en kwantitatieve) methode van Van Gorp (2007). Voor het analyseren is er een inductieve en deductieve fase doorlopen waarbij de frames gereconstrueerd en gecontroleerd werden. Uit de framingsanalyse bleek dat er in totaal 13 frames gereconstrueerd konden worden. Daarvan werden twee frames voor beide atleetgroepen gebruikt: het metamorfose- en het doorzettersframe. Er konden echter ook frames gereconstrueerd worden die exclusief voor een van de twee atleetgroepen gebruikt werden. Voor de zwarte vrouwelijke atleten waren dit het wonder-, diva- en krachtpasterframe en voor de witte vrouwelijke atleten het underdog-, zwoeger-, en work-in-progressframe. De drie kranten verschilden niet sterk in het gebruik van de verschillende frames. Bij het reconstrueren van de frames zijn ook nog een aantal sport- en atleet-specifieke beschrijvingen naar boven gekomen. Voor atletiek betrof het beschrijvingen met snelheid, voor boksen ging het om stoten; voor turnen het benoemen van de lengte. Simone Biles werd consequent kort genoemd; Kiki Bertens als iemand die niet mentaal sterk is en Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce als iemand die in de schaduw van anderen staat.Show less
This thesis makes use of a critical discourse analysis to investigate in what ways the Hindutva discourse on (re)conversion of people to Hinduism transforms the religion to accommodate marginalized...Show moreThis thesis makes use of a critical discourse analysis to investigate in what ways the Hindutva discourse on (re)conversion of people to Hinduism transforms the religion to accommodate marginalized groups, such as Dalits and Adivasis. The thesis provides an overview of the relevant topics and academic debate before getting into the critical discourse analysis. It was discovered that, through the Hindutva discourse, Hinduism is constructed as a tolerant and all-encompasing tradition, whilst similtaniously is experiencing isomorphism to monotheistic religions.Show less
President Trump successfully secured the Republican vote in the US Presidential election of 2016. Donald Trump is notoriously not religious but he is seen as a vehicle to elevate the religious...Show morePresident Trump successfully secured the Republican vote in the US Presidential election of 2016. Donald Trump is notoriously not religious but he is seen as a vehicle to elevate the religious agenda in the political arena. In 2016, Donald Trump run a campaign that engaged with the evangelicals’ desire to restore social and cultural ‘morality’ in the public space and their desire to unwaveringly support Israel. Most of the scholarly debate on Trump’s stance on Israel is angled from a policy perspective, attributing his position to factors such as geopolitics, the influence of Biblical prophecy in American diplomacy, and the increased role of White Christian Nationalism in the political agenda. The research of this thesis will expand on the literature by exploring how Trump’s rhetoric and politics on Israel are used to appeal to his pro-Israel conservative base. The analysis of Trump’s rhetoric and political action using the tool of critical discourse analysis will provide insights between language, ideology, and power. President Trump’s language and political efforts concerning Israel appeal to the Christian evangelical base that makes up most of the Republican Party. Furthermore, Trump has enhanced the role of Christianity in politics, to promote the idea that progressive policies are incompatible with the American identity, and has established America’s relationship with Israel as an inherent value.Show less
Sub-Saharan migrants experience human rights abuses like human trafficking and other forms of violence on their migratory journey towards Europe. The EU and its member states claim to respect human...Show moreSub-Saharan migrants experience human rights abuses like human trafficking and other forms of violence on their migratory journey towards Europe. The EU and its member states claim to respect human rights in their foreign migration policy. At the same time, European foreign migration policy is characterised by restrictive access to the EU and tight border controls based on the securitisation of migration. This thesis takes a critical stance on European foreign migration policy, not only discussing the area of tension between human rights and state interests, but analysing how a humanitarian discourse like the fight against human trafficking is appropriated to advance state interests. Using a critical framework comprised of neoliberal governmentality and mobility studies, this thesis offers a different perspective to think about human trafficking of migrants. A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Rabat and Khartoum Processes, two multi-lateral policy initiatives that govern migration beyond European borders and claim to fight human trafficking, reveals the necessity to re-think migration policy, include migrants as political agents in the policy process and address questions of unjust global power relations.Show less
In the face of complex and interrelated ecological and social sustainability crises, the outstanding responsibilities of Western industrial nations are frequently underlined. As political awareness...Show moreIn the face of complex and interrelated ecological and social sustainability crises, the outstanding responsibilities of Western industrial nations are frequently underlined. As political awareness for these crises has arguably increased in the past decade, political language concerning them has too. However, altered discourses have not led to more sustainable and just policies. The world, and most importantly the largely responsible industrial states, continue to fail in combatting and mitigating global ecological and social hardhships. This thesis uses the young critical theoritcal body of Postcolonial Ecocriticism to scrutinise political discourses of Austrian and German political parties, revealing underlying attitudes and motives regarding sustainability politics, which might explain this inability or unwillingness for counteractions. Finally, it concludes that majorities in both countries show concerningly ignorant and uncritical crisis perceptions. In fact, the analysed parties' discourses often do not reflect the severity and complexity of global crises, and frequently neglect and perpetuate existing exploitative dynamics.Show less
As migration increases in the world, many countries struggle to address it. Some governments have taken on a necropolitical stance on the matter, meaning that they have deliberately failed to help...Show moreAs migration increases in the world, many countries struggle to address it. Some governments have taken on a necropolitical stance on the matter, meaning that they have deliberately failed to help migrants and asylum seekers in their territories, effectively abandoning them to die. As migration trends also increase in Brazil, the current administration of Jair Bolsonaro could be following in the same path as those governments. This thesis will analyze the presence of necropolitics in Bolsonaro’s discourse, arguing that he uses language to justify the ‘letting die’ of immigrants.Show less
On the 26th of September in 2014, 43 students of the Ayotzinapa Normal school disappeared after being arrested by the local police of Iguala in Guerrero, a southern state in Mexico. While this...Show moreOn the 26th of September in 2014, 43 students of the Ayotzinapa Normal school disappeared after being arrested by the local police of Iguala in Guerrero, a southern state in Mexico. While this incident is not an isolated case of disappearances in Mexico, Ayotzinapa gained international media attention due to the belief by the Mexican population that then-president Enrique Peña Nieto was involved in the incident. Independent investigations into the case have strengthened these accusations of a state crime, as they were able to gather evidence that contradict the government’s official version of the incident, which holds the Mayor of Iguala and the Drug Trafficking Organization Guerreros Unidos accountable. These contending versions have inhibited the resolving of the case, meaning that the population continues to demand for justice. Peña Nieto finished his term in 2018, leaving his successor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to bring justice for the students and managing the state crime accusations. This thesis explores how both presidents have addressed Ayotzinapa and the question of responsibility for it in their presidential discourses. Seeing as it was Peña Nieto who was in office when it happened, it is expected that he takes a different stance to the accusations, in comparison to López Obrador, who is not directly accused of committing the crime. Using the Critical Discourse Analysis framework, the results of this thesis demonstrate that the presidents take similar approaches when responding to the state crime accusations. However, their discourses differ when addressing structural problems that characterize the status-quo in Mexico, such as corruption, impunity and violence.Show less
