Discourse has the power to organize thought—and therefore, to limit imagination. The purpose of this project is to trace the contours of climate change discourse constructed by transnational fossil fuel corporations, to make visible the ideological barriers it creates to imagining post-capitalist alternatives. It is undertaken in the context of a well-established urgency for global collaboration to halt, mitigate, and adapt to the social, economic, and ecological impacts of climate change, and takes as its point of departure the fundamental link between ecological degradation and the capitalist mode of production (with its accompanying imperatives of accumulation and profit), as well as the necessity of counter-hegemonic praxis to pursuing system-transformative change on the scale required for humanity to negotiate the looming crisis in a just and ecologically viable way. Conceptualizing popular media as a discursive battleground in which the voices of corporations (through the evolving mediums of advertisement) are privileged, I employ critical discourse analysis to explore the framing of climate change messages by five major transnational oil and gas corporations, toward developing an analytical framework for the burgeoning climate change movement grounded at the intersection of global corporate capitalism and ecological degradation. Climate change messages included images, videos, and narratives intended for public consumption which spoke to the source, resolution, and/or future of human-induced and climate-related ecological problems. These were drawn from corporate websites, blogs, Facebook and Twitter feeds, and YouTube channels over the course of 2016. As action research, I have undertaken this project with the explicit aim of empowering climate movements – of which I count myself a part – to imagine alternative futures. To contribute to this aim, I have created a media literacy toolkit that links corporate climate change messages with the interests they represent to make visible the dynamics of power that mobilize those interests. / Graduate

Följande studie utforskar hur kulturella stereotyper framställs genom interaktionen under två separata intervjuer i talkshowen Malou Efter Tio. Programledaren Malou von Sivers har fått kritik för hur hon intervjuar två rapartister med skilda kulturella bakgrunder. Greekazo som associeras med minoritetsbefolkningen och Einár som associeras med majoritetsbefolkningen. Studien undersöker och jämför interaktionerna i de två intervjuerna utifrån teorierna samtalsanalys, intersektionalitet och olika koncept för representation i media. Analysen genomförs med samtalsanalys som metod och utgår från två separata transkriberingar av materialet. Resultatet visar att Malou von Sivers samspel med de två gästerna skiljer sig, där båda intervjuerna formar stereotypa uppfattningar kring rappgenren. Genom slutdiskussionen förs en diskussion om att det sker en problematisk representation av båda rapartisterna. Framför allt eftersom det upprättas en skillnad mellan rapartisterna genom intervjuerna då de tillskrivs olika egenskaper som baseras på deras etniska tillhörighet. Detta visar på starka maktrelationer som existerar i talkshowen och också på hur ojämlikhet som finns i samhället uppkommer i programmet. Utifrån vårt resultat kan vår studie synliggöra och uppmärksamma hur samtalsstrukturen i den här talkshowen flätas samman med maktstrukturen i vårt samhälle. / The following study examines how cultural stereotypes are reproduced through the interaction during two separate interviews from the talk show Malou Efter Tio. The host Malou von Sivers has been criticized for how she is interviewing two rap artists with different cultural backgrounds. Greekazo, associated with the minority population and Einár, associated with the majority population. The study examines and compare the two interviews based on the theories conversation analysis, intersectionality and several concept of representation in media. Conversation analysis is also used as a method and the analyzation is based on two separate transcriptions of the material. The results showed that Malou von Sivers interplay between two guests were different, however both interviews reproduce stereotypical perceptions about the rap genre. Furthermore, the results are discussed which shows that both representations of the rap artist are problematic. Especially since a difference is established between the rap artists through the interviews as they are attributed different characteristics based on their ethnicity. This shows the strong power relations that exist in the talk show and also how inequality that exist in our society arises in the program. Based on our results, our study exposes and pays attention to how the conversational structure of this talk show is intertwined with the power structure in our society.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka antivaccin-diskurser på Facebooksidan Kavla Ner och jämföra dem med tre antivaccin-diskurser tidigare funna av Kata (2010). Tidigare forskning visar att antivaccin-grupper utnyttjar postmodernistiskt tänkande och att sociala medier är ett kraftfullt verktyg vad gäller åsiktsbildning om vaccin. Därtill kan konspirationsteorier som sprids om vaccin bidra till en ökad tro på att vaccin är farligt.Materialet som analyseras är 30 inlägg från Facebooksidan Kavla Ner och studien bygger på Faircloughs (1992) tredimensionella modell för kritisk diskursanalys. Texterna har analyserats med hjälp av analysverktygen lexikala val och modalitet. Detta görs med utgångspunkt i teorier om ideologi och diskurs, postmodernism samt kulturell hegemoni.Resultatet av analysen visar förekomsten av antivaccin-diskurser och att två av de funna diskurserna stämmer överens med de Kata (2010) funnit. Därtill gjordes nya upptäckter i form av en ny diskurs och de kategoriserande teman Kata funnit utvecklades. Resultatet visade att en stor mängd av inläggen är färgade av ett postmodernistiskt tänkande. Konspirationsteorier visade sig också vara vanligt förekommande i inläggen. Slutsatsen av studien är att de sociala praktiker som påverkar antivaccin-diskursen även skulle kunna påverka andra områden, vilket ytterligare förklarar vikten av att förstå fenomenet vaccinmotstånd. / The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to examine anti-vaccine discourses on the Kavla Ner Facebook page and to compare them to three anti-vaccine discourses previously found by Kata (2010). Research shows that anti-vaccine communities utilize postmodern ways of thought, and that social media is a powerful tool when it comes to affecting people's opinions about vaccination. Furthermore, conspiracy theories which are spread on the internet can contribute to belief that vaccines are dangerous.The material which has been analyzed consists of 30 posts from the Kavla Ner Facebook page and the method is based on Fairclough’s (1992) three-dimensional model for critical discourse analysis. The texts have been analyzed using the tools lexical choices and modality, while drawing on theories about ideology and discourse, postmodernism and cultural hegemony.The result shows the presence of anti-vaccine discourses on the Facebook page, and that two of the discourses are consistent with those found by Kata (2010). In addition, a new discourse was found and the categorizing themes by Kata were expanded. Conspiracy theories proved to be common in the posts. The results also showed that a large number of the posts are characterized by postmodernist thinking. Finally, it is concluded that the social practices which influence the anti-vaccine discourse could affect other areas, which further explains the importance of understanding the phenomenon of vaccine resistance.

The Dutch Reformed Church provided the theological justification for Apartheid since 1948 and contributed to discourses of racism and cultural hegemony. In this research narrative conversations were used to confront racism prevalent among many Dutch Reformed congregants. Social discourses, created through language, marginalised and oppressed people of Colour in South Africa. In this project, narrative conversations were used to deconstruct these oppressive racial discourses. Antjie Krog's book on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's work, Country of my skull, confronted the congregants with the painful and dehumanising effects of Apartheid. Externalising conversations assisted congregants to face their guilt and the unjust discourses trapping them. In addition, this deconstruction empowered the congregants to challenge racism and cultural hegemony by living more ethical lives. / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology (Pastoral Therapy))

Mestrado em Arte Multimédia / Biografia e Autobiografia Universal: para um modelo de análise dos rituais de produção e consumo na arte multimédia trata do estudo e análise de formas alternativas que questionam o modo como criamos a nossa memória cultural colectiva por meio de objectos e rituais. O campo de investigação aqui exposto permanece distinto da História ou Crítica da arte. A abordagem aos rituais é realizada pelo do ponto de vista sócio-cultural, ambicionando reconhecer um modelo de profusão cultural. Inicialmente, é analisado o papel da memória na construção de conteúdos culturais. Com esse intuito, é discutida a validade de dispositivos externos, como a hermenêutica e os rituais nessa construção. Abordando temas gerais como a Memória, Cultura e Linguagem estabelecem-se dicotomias entre Hermenêutica e Rituais, Texto e Imagem, de modo a perceber uma evolução dos rituais tradicionais para rituais contemporâneos em actividades artísticas. É questionado, nos rituais contemporâneos, o seu potencial de, como manifestações performativas, que se centram no indivíduo, constituírem o formato privilegiado para uma linguagem transversal, independente de religiões, nacionalidade, ou grupo. Sendo a investigação desenvolvida no âmbito do Mestrado em Arte Multimédia, avançou-se por uma análise de propostas artísticas que discutem a amplitude dos conceitos de multimédia e performance. A presença do subtítulo Para um modelo de análise dos rituais de produção e consumo na arte multimédia representa um enquadramento da dinâmica presente nos rituais contemporâneos em manifestações de trabalho artístico de tendência biográfica e autobiográfica. A reflexão sobre o modelo de interpretação e análise é realizada perante o corpo de trabalho das artistas: Tracey Emin, Mona Hatoum e Morgan O Hara, procurando indagar se os seus trabalhos têm a capacidade de se caracterizarem como dispositivos de memória. / Universal Biography and Autobiography: for a model of analysis of the rituals of production and consumption in multimedia art regards the study and analysis of alternative forms of questioning how we create our collective cultural memory through objects and rituals. The field of investigation here shown stands apart from areas of History or Art criticism. The approach to rituals is made from the Socio-cultural view point, aspiring to recognize a model of cultural profusion. Foremost, the role of memory in the construction of cultural content is here analyzed. With that intent, the validity between external devices, such as hermeneutics and rituals, is discussed on that construction. Approaching broad themes such as Memory, Culture, Language, dichotomies between Hermeneutics and Rituals, Text and Image are established to understand an evolution from traditional rituals to contemporary ones in artistic activity. It is questioned and suggested that contemporary rituals, with their potential of being performative manifestations that centre on the individual, constitute a privileged format for a transverse language, independent of religion, nationality or group. Being the investigation developed in the scope of the Master in Multimedia Art, an analysis of artistic proposals was followed, that discusses the breadth of the multimedia and performance concepts. The presence of the sub-heading For a model of analysis of the rituals of production and consumption in multimedia art , represents a framing of the dynamic which is present on contemporary rituals in biographical and autobiographical artistic work. Pondering about the model of interpretation and analyses is made in the presence of the body of work of the artist: Tracey Emin, Mona Hatoum and Morgan O Hara, seeking to inquest if their work can be characterized as a memory agent.

The Dutch Reformed Church provided the theological justification for Apartheid since 1948 and contributed to discourses of racism and cultural hegemony. In this research narrative conversations were used to confront racism prevalent among many Dutch Reformed congregants. Social discourses, created through language, marginalised and oppressed people of Colour in South Africa. In this project, narrative conversations were used to deconstruct these oppressive racial discourses. Antjie Krog's book on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's work, Country of my skull, confronted the congregants with the painful and dehumanising effects of Apartheid. Externalising conversations assisted congregants to face their guilt and the unjust discourses trapping them. In addition, this deconstruction empowered the congregants to challenge racism and cultural hegemony by living more ethical lives. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology (Pastoral Therapy))

This research examines how the practice of curating has been used to further counter-hegemonic agendas in public art institutions since 1989. The central aim is to provide a fuller, contextualised, and medium specific understanding of the how the institutional exhibition might be used to challenge the hegemony of neoliberalism and the post-political consensus politics that sustains its dominance. It provides insights, through both historic case studies and reflective practice, that problematise the idea that the institutional art exhibition is a viable medium for counter-hegemonic critique, or represents the ideal space for the development of an agonistic public discourse. This thesis presents collaborative research undertaken with Tate Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University. The research presented both extrapolated from, and contributed to, the development of an exhibition, co-curated with Tate Liverpool, entitled Art Turning Left (8 November 2013 – 2 February 2014) and a supplementary publication of the same name. The first section investigates how the idea that curators can counter neoliberal dominance, through institutional exhibition-making, developed. It draws from analyses of previous exhibitions, and the theory of Chantal Mouffe, in order to critically evaluate the curatorial application of counter-hegemonic critique and agonistic practice. It also provides a review of how exhibitions (held in major art institutions since 1989) have articulated politics, in order to determine their relationship to neoliberal dominance, and to identify significant gaps in the dialogue facilitated by these institutions. These analyses provides the theoretical and contextual grounding for the final two chapters, which provide a rationale and critical evaluation of my own attempt to develop an alternative counter-hegemonic curatorial strategy for the exhibition at Tate Liverpool. They document, and analyse, the areas of dissensus, and the ideological and pragmatic limitations that emerged, in trying to realise these theoretical propositions (in practice) in a public art museum. The thesis therefore provides a critical framework for the development of an alternative practice that positions the exhibition as a form of post-political critique and specifically targets the hegemonic role that institutional exhibitions play in reinforcing class distinctions and devaluing nonprofessional creativity.