Bachelor thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (BSc)
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This thesis explores the similarities and differences on social media of adolescents and young adults, in Europe, who are in denial or not regarding climate change. Also, the public figures’ online...Show moreThis thesis explores the similarities and differences on social media of adolescents and young adults, in Europe, who are in denial or not regarding climate change. Also, the public figures’ online activism, Naomi Seibt (young German climate-denier activist) and Greta Thunberg (young Swedish climate activist), are rigorously studied to draw comparisons between non- deniers and deniers. Then, the research question addressed in this thesis is: What are the similarities and differences between the young individuals, in Europe, who are in denial or not regarding climate change, on social media? To compare both groups online, a contextualization background and a justification are provided to understand why some young individuals remain in denial despite a scientific consensus convinced on the existence and negative impacts of climate change. Also, it explores which social actors outside the scope of this thesis can benefit from the analysis brought. Additionally, the main social actors (non-deniers, deniers, and social media) are defined, and a theory is drawn to brainstorm this thesis’ puzzle. In terms of methodology, literature review and research on Seibt’s and Thunberg’s social media activities have been performed, and ethical considerations have been taken into account to not harm observed online users. Furthermore, similarities and differences between non-deniers and deniers individuals are extensively examined in four empirical sections. The first one explores the social factors and background that would lead one to express denial or not. The second one discusses the conceptualisation of science by both groups on social media. The third section talks about the identity formation regarding climate change online. The last one analyses the expressed mistrust on social media, individuals in denial or not have in wider societal structures and social actors. Finally, concluding remarks and further suggested research is detailed.Show less
The digitalisation of political expression impacted social movement organisation. The global proliferation of information and communication technology (ICT) digitalised social movements towards...Show moreThe digitalisation of political expression impacted social movement organisation. The global proliferation of information and communication technology (ICT) digitalised social movements towards networked collective action. This fuelled the optimism about ICTs as liberalisation tool. Yet, authoritarian regimes showed increasing sophistication in digital repression which urges to investigate the link between digital repression (DR) and mobilisation. I use complementary insights from connective action theory and disconnective action theory to address the research question: What is the effect of DR on mobilisation? By arguing DR is multi-dimensional, the goal of this analysis is to establish the relationship between DR and mobilisation in authoritarian regimes. To this end, I conduct a systematic, global analysis. With an OLS regression, my large-N study analyses authoritarian regimes from 2000 until 2021. The findings are qualitatively supported with two case studies to address endogeneity concerns. On the one hand, I expect a prevention effect on mobilisation if DR is performed as long-term information manipulation. On the other hand, I hypothesise an escalation effect on mobilisation if DR is executed in form of a short-term information vacuum. Though the results are mixed, I conclude that there is initial support for both prevention and escalation effect of DR. I derive that DR is multi-dimensional and can prevent, but also escalate mobilisation.Show less
The increasing reliance on ICT within the public sector has changed the working ways of governmental bureaucracies from a paper reality to a digital one, and governments are eager to use new...Show moreThe increasing reliance on ICT within the public sector has changed the working ways of governmental bureaucracies from a paper reality to a digital one, and governments are eager to use new technologies for their business operations and reap its benefits just as the private sector does. Since technological advancement is driven by the private sector, and humans are increasingly accustomed to the speed and efficiency that technology brings, citizens are expecting governments to adapt and digitize as well. As such, an important trend that is being experimented with is the usage of self-learning algorithms, particularly Artificial Intelligence or AI. Since AI runs on data, it is only logical that an organization such as the government which holds an abundance of data would like to put this to use. Data that is collected might hold certain patterns, if you can find such patterns and assume that the near future will not be much different from when the data was collected, predictions can be made. However, AI systems are often deemed opaque and inscrutable, and this can collide with the judicial accountability that governments have towards their citizens in the form of transparency. Based on the assumption that the information that is used by AI i.e. data and algorithms, is not similar to documentary information that governments are accustomed to, there are added obstacles for governments to overcome in order to achieve the desired effects of transparency. The goal of this research is to explore the barriers to transparency in governmental usage of AI in decision-making by analyzing governmental motivation towards (non-) transparency and how the complex nature of AI relates to this. The question that stems from this is: What are the obstacles related to being transparent in AI-assisted governmental decision-making? In the study, a comparison is made between the obstacles to transparency for documentary information and the obstacles that experts encounter in practice related to AI, a contribution follows. Based on the literature, it is hypothesized that governments are limited by privacy and safety issues, lack of expertise, cooperation and inadequate disclosure. The results show that the obstacles are more nuanced and an addition to the theory is appropriate. The most important findings being: that data and algorithms should not be treated as documentary information; the importance of the policy domain in determinant for the degree of transparency; that lack of cooperation causes multiple obstacles to transparency such as self-censoring, accountability issues, superficial debate, false promises, inability to explain and ill-suited systems; that more information disclosure isn’t always better; and that the public sector should rethink their overreliance on private sector business models. All these obstacles can be associated to losing sight of the fundamental function of government, serving citizens.Show less
