The world changed rapidly when the Covid-19 virus spread around the globe in early 2020. This led many proponents of degrowth, a post-capitalist ideology that wants to prioritize human and...Show moreThe world changed rapidly when the Covid-19 virus spread around the globe in early 2020. This led many proponents of degrowth, a post-capitalist ideology that wants to prioritize human and planetary wellbeing over economic growth, to believe that the pandemic had opened a window of opportunity to fundamentally transform economies and societies to align with planetary boundaries. In 2023, it is conspicuous that the eco-socialist revolution has not (yet) arrived. This does, however, not mean that the pandemic did not have any effect on attitudes towards degrowth. This thesis examines the prevalence of degrowth as well as the tone and attitudes towards degrowth in the public discourse in the US, based on online articles published between 2017 and 2023 in American news media and finds an increase in coverage, particularly after mid-2022, in which the pandemic likely played a role. After the outbreak, prestigious outlets started writing about degrowth, but overall coverage remained limited. Outlets on the political left were found to be more receptive to the idea. The coverage of the US version of The Guardian stood out due to its high volume of positive articles about degrowth, particularly after the outbreak. The few outlets on the political right that wrote about the topic took a negative tone towards the idea and described it as dangerous.Show less
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the social composition of the mechanical devices portrayed in E. M. Forster’s novel The Machine Stops and of Franz Kafka’s In der Strafkolonie and how...Show moreThe purpose of this study is to demonstrate the social composition of the mechanical devices portrayed in E. M. Forster’s novel The Machine Stops and of Franz Kafka’s In der Strafkolonie and how this can be effectively used in order to interpret their imminent implosion within the stories. Beyond providing allegorical expressions for the destruction of Forster’s and Kafka’s machines, I will confront these devices with scholarly literature that highlight the social aspect of the machinic concept and, simultaneously, propose its transcendental dimension that exceeds its material structure and expands within social fields. Thus, the machines within Forster’s and Kafka’s stories are not merely operational structures or tools, but social entities with affective propositions.Show less
Given the success of African women’s literature in disseminating the African Womanist cause, this study examines popular Nigerian women’s lifestyle magazines to ascertain whether and in what ways...Show moreGiven the success of African women’s literature in disseminating the African Womanist cause, this study examines popular Nigerian women’s lifestyle magazines to ascertain whether and in what ways they are able to reflect, reinforce or contradict the African feminist agenda.Taking an interdisciplinary approach applying qualitative content analysis from literary studies to the content and feature articles of two Nigerian women’s magazines, this study thematically analyzes discourses and practices of femininity in the Nigerian media. Viewed from the African Womanist perspective, this research illustrates that, contrary to the generalization that representations of women in the media are stereotypical and destructive to women, Nigerian women’s lifestyle magazines construct positive images of femininity. Women are portrayed as actively carving out spaces for more freedom of choice and achievement for themselves in work, marriage and motherhood as well as issues that pertain to gender equality and empowerment. Magazine discourse thus mirrors the African feminist agenda, affirming that women’s sectional media can act as vehicles for the positive identity formation of women. Through the application of methods and paradigms from African women’s literary studies to the media, this research contributes to the current shifts in methodological approaches to feminist media studies and provides an understanding of how the mass media can play a role in women’s empowerment.Show less
