Ideology and its origins are heavily studied and debated. Some claim socioeconomic status or the standing of a person in society is crucial and others say its influence on ideology is negligible....Show moreIdeology and its origins are heavily studied and debated. Some claim socioeconomic status or the standing of a person in society is crucial and others say its influence on ideology is negligible. This thesis overviews the debate about ideology and the impact socioeconomic status (SES) has on it. The argument is made that socioeconomic status is influential in the formation of left-right ideology and that higher socioeconomic status leads one to be more right-wing and vice versa. SES is measured by looking at educational attainment, income level and employment. The argument is evaluated in the Belgian case using data of the 2018 European Social Survey. Belgium was selected as it exemplifies the relationship between socioeconomic status and left-right ideology, with the citizens from each region, namely Flanders and Wallonia, having different average SES and diverging ideological views. The findings demonstrate that socioeconomic status impacts left-right ideology and that the weight of SES as a determinant of it should not be ignored. However, the results also indicate that religiosity and gender are important for SES to have its hypothesized impact and even with the inclusion of the control variables, the association between SES and left-right ideology was not as significant as expected.Show less
During epidemics, the media play an important role due to their wide provision of information. In doing so, the salience of certain topics is often heightened through the process of framing. This...Show moreDuring epidemics, the media play an important role due to their wide provision of information. In doing so, the salience of certain topics is often heightened through the process of framing. This process is of extreme importance as it shapes the understanding that the general public has of a health emergency. Identifying what frames prevail in the first phases of an epidemic can help define the major worries of the elite as well as the general public as well as their priorities. While the world is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, this study is aimed at delineating how processes of framing were used by British the printed press. By distinguishing trends in tabloids and broadsheet newspapers, this research will be able to conclude that sensationalist newspapers presented more human interest stories. On the other hand, serious newspapers were found to make larger use of the Economic Consequences and the Attribution of Responsibility frames. Additionally, anchoring frames were found to prevail over othering hence confirming the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic would less “othered” than 2003 SARS.Show less
Protesten zijn voor groepen een manier om hun politieke onvrede te uiten en variëren in grootte en mobilisatievermogen. Ieder protest concurreert om mediaaandacht en streeft naar een groot publiek...Show moreProtesten zijn voor groepen een manier om hun politieke onvrede te uiten en variëren in grootte en mobilisatievermogen. Ieder protest concurreert om mediaaandacht en streeft naar een groot publiek om de politieke agenda te beïnvloeden. De wetenschappelijke literatuur wijst op het bestaan van een structurele negatieve bias vanuit de media tegenover protesten. Vrij zelden zijn de precieze eigenschappen die hierbij een rol spelen onderzocht. Door middel van een frame-analyse van vier uiteenlopende mediabronnen is onderzocht welke factoren invloed hebben op deze negatieve bias. Op basis van de conclusies kan worden gesteld dat een structurele bias niet bestaat. Negatieve frames zijn voornamelijk afhankelijk van de mate van geweld en de eigenschappen, zoals ideologie, in het medialandschap. Toekomstig onderzoek moet uitwijzen of in ieder medialandschap dezelfde eigenschappen van belang zijn of dat in de media zijn eigen manier heeft waarop protesten worden geframed.Show less
