The aim of this study is to find out, against the news genre norms, how representations of particular regions are produced in the structure of newspaper reporting in the foreign news sub-genre. The study focuses on news reports concerning Africa, or African countries, in one Tokyo-based newspaper: The Japan Times/Online. The study is theoretically informed by Cultural Studies – a field of study concerned with the study of ideology and power in discourse – and investigates how Africa and African countries are represented as “other” than developed countries. This is a textual study that focuses on the production moment using Critical Discourse Analysis methods. Critical discourse analysis is interested in the study of ideological forms that have become naturalised over time, so that ideology has become common sense. The first part of the study analyses headlines and reveals evidence of ideological positions adopted by The Japan Times/Online in the representation of, firstly, home or Japanese actors, which is very different to the representation of African actors. The second part of the analysis examines the structures of the texts and the language used therein. The evidence from this analysis shows how Africa is represented as a Third World entity through various crises, including a health epidemic, perceptions of political instability and economic instability, an inadequate business image, as well as market and managerial skills, and wars and conflict. The study concludes with a discussion of the representation of Africa and African countries as a part of the Third World entity. This representation reflects and naturalises social inequality between developed countries and those of the Third World, of which Africa is a part. The representation of Africa as a Third World entity also naturalises the social, health, economic and political conditions said to be characteristic of African countries. It is this process of representation that reveals the power relations between Japan as a First World country and Africa as part of the Third World.

Hierdie proefskrif is 'n verkennende ondersoek na kykers se interpretasie van die seep-opera Egoli - Piek van Goud. Die basiese vertrekpunt van die studie is die teks-leserontmoeting waar gelyke status aan die boodskap ('n teks) en die ontvanger ('n kyker) gegee word. Uit so 'n ontmoeting ontstaan kykers se interpretasies. Die tweeledige ondersoek plaas die proefskrif binne die teoretiese en metodologiese raamwerk van resepsiestudie om die komplekse interaksie tussen 'n teks en die ontvanger te ondersoek. Die twee komponente word binne spesifieke historiese en kulturele kontekste geplaas, te wete die veranderende politieke en ideologiese klimaat in Suid-Afrika asook die sosio-kulturele en politieke kontekste van die deelnemers. Die deelnemers van hierdie studie is groepe bruin-, swart- en witvroue. Groeponderhoude (fokusgroepe) is met ses groepe vroue tydens hul etensuur by die werkplek gevoer. Die onderhoude is rondom die volgende temas gestruktureer: romanse, identifikasie, parasosiale interaksie, sosiale interaksie, intertekstualiteit en Egoli as 'n forum vir die uitbeelding van Suid-Afrikaanse werklikhede. Kykers se interpretasie van die temas is ontleed aan die hand van referensiele, onderhandelde en kritiese interpretasierame. Daar is gevind dat die verskillende kultuurgroepe in 'n groat mate dieselfde interpretasierame gebruik in hul interpretasie van die verskillende temas. Die opvallendste verskil tussen die groepe is die wyse waarop die deelnemers die tema Egoli as 'n forum vir die uitbeelding van die SuidAfrikaanse werklikhede vertolk: as gevolg van verskillende sosio-kulturele en politieke omstandighede in Suid-Afrika het die deelnemers waarskynlik interpretasierame ontwikkel wat aan daardie omstandighede gekoppel kan word. In die studie is aangetoon dat die hermeneutiek en resepsieteorie nuttige verklarings gee van die elemente in die seep-operateks wat kykersbetrokkenheid stimuleer en die proses van interpretasie. Die proses verloop soos volg: deelnemers het bepaalde verwagtings oor 'n program; hulle moet die uitgebeelde werklikheid(e) herken en die boodskappe dan toe-eien. Hierna word boodskappe 'n kultuur binnegedra deur middel van sosiale diskoers. Die teoretiese onderbou het voorts aan die lig gebring dat deelnemers se interaksie met en interpretasie van Egoli 'n vorm van spel is. Empiriese bewyse is gevind dat die deelnemers op speelse wyse • oor karakters 'skinder'; • spekuleer oor romantiese assosiasie; • met karakters identifiseer; en • parasosiale verhoudings met karakters aanknoop. / Text in Afrikaans / This thesis is an exploratory study of viewers' interpretation of the soap opera Egoli - Place of Gold. The basic point of departure is the text-viewer encounter where equal status is given to the message (text) and the recipient (viewer). Viewers' interpretations develop from this encounter. This dichotomous investigation places the thesis within the theoretical and methodological framework of reception study where the complex interaction between a text and the recipient is examined. The two components are placed within specific historical and cultural contexts, namely the changing political and ideological climate in South Africa, as well as the socio-cultural and political contexts of the participants. The groups participating in this study consisted of coloured, black and white women. Six group interviews (focus groups) were held with these women during their lunch-hour at the workplace. The interviews were structured around the following themes: romance, identification, parasocial interaction, social interaction,intertextuality and Egoli as a forum for the portrayal of South African realities. Viewers' interpretations of these themes were analysed according to referential, negotiated and critical interpretative frames. It was largely found that the various cultural groups use the same interpretative frames to interpret the various themes. The exception was the way participants interpreted Egoli as a forum for the portrayal of South African realities: because of different socio-cultural and political circumstances in South Africa the participants may have developed interpretation frames that could be linked to these circumstances. Hermeneutics and reception theory provide useful explanations of these elements in a soap opera text that stimulate viewers' involvement and the process of interpretation. This process proceeds as follows: participants have specific expectations regarding a programme; they must recognise the realities depicted and then appropriate the messages. Thereafter messages are incorporated into a culture by means of social discourse. A further important theoretical finding was that the participants' interaction with and interpretation of Egoli takes the form of play. It was empirically determined in this study that participants playfully • speculate about romantic association; • engage in gossip about characters; • identify with characters; and • develop parasocial relationships with characters. / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication Science)

Thesis (MA (VA)(Visual Arts))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / This thesis consists of a study that identifies and analyses the origins, nature, and spectrum of different stereotypes of Africans in popular texts. The past can only be explored through texts, which are unavoidably mediated, re-interpreted, fictional and temporary. No text can be read in isolation – it is imperative to gain knowledge about the social and ideological context in the analysis of any historical text. History shows that racism is a constructed concept, and the roots of stereotypical perceptions of the ‘Other’ can be found in antiquity – in Ancient Egypt, Classical Greece and the Jewish Torah, as well as during the Middle Ages. A historical synopsis is given of the conception and development of racial stereotyping through the ages until the present. The study demonstrates how stereotypes gradually adapt with history, politics, and ideology. Stereotypes are in my opinion not necessarily constructed on purpose. Stereotypes are developed and based on historical events, but are transformed in time to fulfil new purposes. My conclusion is that racist stereotypes of Africans are created in the West, by the West, for the West. In many ways, the adaptation of the stereotypes of Africans act as a timeline for Western involvement on the continent. The stereotypical portrayal of Africa as the Dark Continent, “White Man’s Burden” and Godforsaken Continent will firstly be studied. Secondly, the depiction of African-Americans, especially in American popular culture, is discussed through stereotypes like Mammy, Uncle Tom, Jezebel, and Buck. The theme of my practical component, a two part series about the Cape Carnival, discusses the stereotype of the “Jolly Hotnot” or “Coon” and examines the portrayal of Africans as comical. The study shows the important role popular media plays in spreading and reaffirming stereotypes. Stereotypes are often used as a survival method to make the multiplicity of reality manageable, recognisable, and understandable. Stereotyping becomes problematic if the stereotypes are used as generalisations to marginalise a group in terms of features such as skin colour. A type of “cultural decolonisation” would be necessary to counteract this marginalisation, through popular culture created by in Africa, by Africans, for Africans and international popular culture.

Hierdie proefskrif is 'n verkennende ondersoek na kykers se interpretasie van die seep-opera Egoli - Piek van Goud. Die basiese vertrekpunt van die studie is die teks-leserontmoeting waar gelyke status aan die boodskap ('n teks) en die ontvanger ('n kyker) gegee word. Uit so 'n ontmoeting ontstaan kykers se interpretasies. Die tweeledige ondersoek plaas die proefskrif binne die teoretiese en metodologiese raamwerk van resepsiestudie om die komplekse interaksie tussen 'n teks en die ontvanger te ondersoek. Die twee komponente word binne spesifieke historiese en kulturele kontekste geplaas, te wete die veranderende politieke en ideologiese klimaat in Suid-Afrika asook die sosio-kulturele en politieke kontekste van die deelnemers. Die deelnemers van hierdie studie is groepe bruin-, swart- en witvroue. Groeponderhoude (fokusgroepe) is met ses groepe vroue tydens hul etensuur by die werkplek gevoer. Die onderhoude is rondom die volgende temas gestruktureer: romanse, identifikasie, parasosiale interaksie, sosiale interaksie, intertekstualiteit en Egoli as 'n forum vir die uitbeelding van Suid-Afrikaanse werklikhede. Kykers se interpretasie van die temas is ontleed aan die hand van referensiele, onderhandelde en kritiese interpretasierame. Daar is gevind dat die verskillende kultuurgroepe in 'n groat mate dieselfde interpretasierame gebruik in hul interpretasie van die verskillende temas. Die opvallendste verskil tussen die groepe is die wyse waarop die deelnemers die tema Egoli as 'n forum vir die uitbeelding van die SuidAfrikaanse werklikhede vertolk: as gevolg van verskillende sosio-kulturele en politieke omstandighede in Suid-Afrika het die deelnemers waarskynlik interpretasierame ontwikkel wat aan daardie omstandighede gekoppel kan word. In die studie is aangetoon dat die hermeneutiek en resepsieteorie nuttige verklarings gee van die elemente in die seep-operateks wat kykersbetrokkenheid stimuleer en die proses van interpretasie. Die proses verloop soos volg: deelnemers het bepaalde verwagtings oor 'n program; hulle moet die uitgebeelde werklikheid(e) herken en die boodskappe dan toe-eien. Hierna word boodskappe 'n kultuur binnegedra deur middel van sosiale diskoers. Die teoretiese onderbou het voorts aan die lig gebring dat deelnemers se interaksie met en interpretasie van Egoli 'n vorm van spel is. Empiriese bewyse is gevind dat die deelnemers op speelse wyse • oor karakters 'skinder'; • spekuleer oor romantiese assosiasie; • met karakters identifiseer; en • parasosiale verhoudings met karakters aanknoop. / Text in Afrikaans / This thesis is an exploratory study of viewers' interpretation of the soap opera Egoli - Place of Gold. The basic point of departure is the text-viewer encounter where equal status is given to the message (text) and the recipient (viewer). Viewers' interpretations develop from this encounter. This dichotomous investigation places the thesis within the theoretical and methodological framework of reception study where the complex interaction between a text and the recipient is examined. The two components are placed within specific historical and cultural contexts, namely the changing political and ideological climate in South Africa, as well as the socio-cultural and political contexts of the participants. The groups participating in this study consisted of coloured, black and white women. Six group interviews (focus groups) were held with these women during their lunch-hour at the workplace. The interviews were structured around the following themes: romance, identification, parasocial interaction, social interaction,intertextuality and Egoli as a forum for the portrayal of South African realities. Viewers' interpretations of these themes were analysed according to referential, negotiated and critical interpretative frames. It was largely found that the various cultural groups use the same interpretative frames to interpret the various themes. The exception was the way participants interpreted Egoli as a forum for the portrayal of South African realities: because of different socio-cultural and political circumstances in South Africa the participants may have developed interpretation frames that could be linked to these circumstances. Hermeneutics and reception theory provide useful explanations of these elements in a soap opera text that stimulate viewers' involvement and the process of interpretation. This process proceeds as follows: participants have specific expectations regarding a programme; they must recognise the realities depicted and then appropriate the messages. Thereafter messages are incorporated into a culture by means of social discourse. A further important theoretical finding was that the participants' interaction with and interpretation of Egoli takes the form of play. It was empirically determined in this study that participants playfully • speculate about romantic association; • engage in gossip about characters; • identify with characters; and • develop parasocial relationships with characters. / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication Science)