Magister Artium - MA / The research study takes into account the apartheid legacy of racial hierarchization and ‘separate development’ (cf Raynard, 2012) which penetrated all aspects of social life. Particularly, it is the sporting domain and the categorization of race and identity which is investigated. In this regard, it is the re-entry of South African athletes of colour at the Olympic Games which are of keen interest. At the 2016 Rio Olympics South African Wayde Van Niekerk (WVN) became a household name when he broke the world record in the 400 meter men’s division. His win however, was represented in different ways online and it is through investigating trending hashtags on Facebook & Twitter that new and well-worn discourses of identity emerge. A critical analysis of the online representations of WVN is undertaken so as to speak to normalized discourses of race within a South African context. A particularly contentious and provocative hashtag i.e. #ColouredExcellence is investigated in its ability to speak to an online debate on race and identity which took hold at the time of his win. This study therefore investigates the online representations which locate WVN within an arguably racially divided post-apartheid setting where vestiges of apartheid are still present. By drawing on Ahmed’s (2004) work on ‘affective economy’ this study investigates how emotions emerge online in the form of memes, Twitter hashtags and Facebook posts, and which indexes larger discourses on race and identity. The main aims of this research is to: a). investigate normalized discourses of race online, and their relation to the on-going issues of race and identity in a post- apartheid South Africa and b) To examine the emotions emergent in varying representations of WVN online. / 2022-08-31

This thesis focuses on the role of nonhumans in the process of value production on social media platforms. In particular, we investigate the relation between algorithm based sorting mechanisms and human work, here exemplified by the role of a hashtag in social media users’ production of identity. Previous research has shown that social media users produce identity by organising web material into coherent narratives. As suggested by Marxist media scholars (Fuchs, 2014; Bolin, 2011), such organising of material can be perceived as a value generating work process. However, little research has explored how hashtags, and other digital nonhuman actors, are involved in this process. The ambition of this study is therefore to enable a closer understanding of hastags’ relation to value producing organisational work. To do this we have selected a specific case to analyse; the hashtag rockasockorna – a Swedish version of the American hashtag rockthesocks. Our empirical material consists of a quantitative data set, collected with aid of a statistical analysis software (hashtracking.com), as well as two qualitative ethnographic case studies on the two statistically most influential users. To analyse the material we use a methodological approach based on Bruno Latour’s (2005) Actor Network Theory. Primarily, the approach is inspired by Latour’s concept of the circulating reference (1999), meaning that relations described in the qualitative material are gradually reduced into a generalised model. The model suggests that the hashtag takes a position of what we refer to as a “quasi consumer”, an imitator of human organisational work. In the paper’s final section the results are brought into dialogue with contemporary Marxist value theory. We argue that existing literature tends to neglect the aspect of nonhumans as consumers, and thus further research should investigate the implications of nonhuman consumption.

Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2017-12-04T21:01:20Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MarcusMendoncaGoncalvesDeJesus_DISSERT.pdf: 3824416 bytes, checksum: ad9884f47f47b5d7ad06ea2781d6fb48 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Arlan Eloi Leite Silva (eloihistoriador@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-12-07T22:26:54Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MarcusMendoncaGoncalvesDeJesus_DISSERT.pdf: 3824416 bytes, checksum: ad9884f47f47b5d7ad06ea2781d6fb48 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-07T22:26:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MarcusMendoncaGoncalvesDeJesus_DISSERT.pdf: 3824416 bytes, checksum: ad9884f47f47b5d7ad06ea2781d6fb48 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-10-10 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES) / O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o ?mbito da seguran?a virtual no Brasil como um elemento imprescind?vel para o desenvolvimento, uma vez que a internet e os meios eletr?nicos fazem parte da maior parte da popula??o. Sendo assim, ser? verificada a forma como o direito chancela essa ?rea e como consequ?ncia, ser? oferecido o entendimento de como o direito est? aliado ao desenvolvimento. A t?tulo de estudo de caso, ser? verificada a Opera??o Hashtag, da Pol?cia Federal, em 2016, a qual antecedeu o in?cio dos Jogos Ol?mpicos no Rio de Janeiro nesse mesmo ano. Nesse prisma de abordagem, ? ressaltado um estudo a respeito dos conflitos religiosos e culturais que ocorrem pelo mundo, na seara dos choques entre civiliza??es, o que em tantos casos se manifesta em forma de terrorismo, cujo conceito ? esmiu?ado nesta pesquisa, dado o fato de que ele come?a, em muitos casos, no ambiente virtual. Este trabalho se utiliza do m?todo hipot?tico-dedutivo, o m?todo de procedimento que prevalece ? o monogr?fico e de fontes secund?rias, com ?nfase em obras da doutrina jur?dica, an?lise da Constitui??o Federal e da legisla??o pertinente ? ?rea virtual, al?m de livros nas ?reas da antropologia cultural e da hist?ria, bem como da senten?a da Justi?a Federal que condenou oito r?us de acordo com a Lei Federal 13.260/2016, a qual representa um marco no Brasil no combate ao terrorismo. O que se pode concluir ? que o Brasil demonstrou grande avan?o no que se refere ?s exig?ncias internacionais para confrontar os grupos terroristas no momento em que sancionou uma lei espec?fica para o tema e que possui um aparato legal para disciplinar o uso da internet no pa?s, como por exemplo, a Lei Federal n? 12.965/2014, o Marco Civil da Internet. / The present work aims to analyze the scope of virtual security in Brazil as an essential element for the development, since the internet and electronic media are part of the larger part of the population. Thus, it will be verified how the law will seal this area and as a consequence, will be offered the understanding of how law is allied to development. As a case study, Operation Hashtag, of the Federal Police, will be verified in 2016, which preceded the beginning of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro that same year. In this approach, a study is made of the religious and cultural conflicts taking place around the world, in the midst of the clashes between civilizations, which in many cases manifests itself in the form of terrorism, the concept of which is explored in this research, given the fact that it starts, in many cases, in the virtual environment. This work uses the hypothetical-deductive method, the prevailing method of procedure is monographic, and and secondary sources, with emphasis on works of legal doctrine, analysis of the Federal Constitution and legislation pertinent to the virtual area, besides of books in the areas of cultural anthropology and history, as well as the sentence of Federal Court that convicted eight defendants in accordance with Federal Law 13.260/2016, which represents a milestone in Brazil in the fight against terrorism. What can be concluded is that Brazil has shown great progress in relation to international demands to confront terrorist groups at the time it has sanctioned a specific law for the subject and that has a legal apparatus to discipline the use of the Internet in the country, such as Federal Law No. 12.965 / 2014, the Civil Internet Framework.

Studiens utgångspunkt är att undersöka hur män och kvinnor framställs i Instagram-inlägg under #MeToo och #IHave. Syftet med uppsatsen är att skapa en förståelse för hur kön framställs när människor delar inlägg under hashtags och se hur dessa förhåller sig till och/eller utmanar rådande maktstrukturer. För att analysera både lingvistiska och visuella element i valda Instagram-inlägg, har metoden multimodal kritisk diskursanalys (MCDA) tillämpats på vår studie. Vårt teoretiska ramverk består av tre komponenter: feminism, genus och multimodal kritisk diskursanalys som teori. Med hjälp av olika analysverktyg, hämtade från MCDA, har vi kunnat urskilja tre teman. I det första temat Rätten till sin egen kropp, beskrivs hur kvinnor tystats ner och fråntas rätten till att bestämma över sin egen kropp. I Legitimering av sexuella trakasserier förklaras hur ett fysiskt beteendemönster bland män rättfärdigas och normaliseras. I det tredje temat, Upprätthållande av sociala strukturer, framgår det hur den rådande könsmaktsordning ser likadan ut både “offline” och “online”. #MeToo och #IHave har fått stor genomslagskraft och möjliggjort en ny väg för kvinnor och män att berätta sina erfarenheter av sexuella trakasserier och övergrepp. Något som skapat en mobilisering kring jämställdhet i samhället och ett ifrågasättande av rådande normer, som upprätthåller patriarkala strukturer och mäns auktoritära roll. Under inlägg med #IHave verkar män vara väl medvetna i frågan om sexuella trakasserier och övergrepp, vilket gör att de tillskrivs en “hjälteroll”. Detta fast att män i många fall varit förövare och utsatt kvinnor för våld. Kvinnorna anses däremot vara svaga och sårbara. Trots det tar de upp kampen för sina rättigheter, vilket gör att kvinnors status och maktposition förstärks. Instagram-inläggen som delats med #MeToo och #IHave, blir därmed bevis på att sociala strukturer legitimerar sexuella trakasserier och övergrepp. Samtidigt har dessa hashtags skapat en ökad medvetenhet, vilket förhoppningsvis leder till att normer på sikt kan komma att förändras.

This master's thesis focuses on the creation of microblogging services for teams. The thesis describes the research and analysis of current microblogging services and finding their strength and weaknesses. Based on the analysis is designed new service which focuses on communication between team members. It is also discussed implementation of the proposed service and on the conclusion are summarized future extensions to improve this service.

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Ed Tech Future Ready program has encouraged the use of open informal learning communities as professional learning opportunities for educators. This study categorizes 46 state Twitter chats by their moderation techniques and design. A purposive sample of Twitter chat designers participated in this phenomenological exploration that demonstrates how the designs of these informal learning spaces are aligned with the designers' pedagogical philosophies. Recommendations for supporting, growing, and sustaining similar learning communities are included.

This thesis aims to conduct an in-depth study of the activism surrounding the #DeleteFacebook hashtag by applying Critical Discourse Analysis. By theorizing framing, digital colonialism, power relations, and antagonism, this thesis examines the qualitative analysis of 1.987 Tweets posted on Twitter between 20 February and 4 March 2021. This study identifies the key thematic content of these Tweets and then conducts an in-depth critical analysis. These questions will be addressed in the research: “What are the principle discourse typologies and their intertextual interpretation of hashtag activism #DeleteFacebook?”, “What were the key themes that emerged during the #DeleteFacebook hashtag movement?” and “How can we interpret the online engagement with #DeleteFacebook as hashtag activism?”. This thesis presents an analysis of #DeleteFacebook related Tweets through coding and then reveals an intertextual analysis of it, including the social context. Also, this study provides a thorough review of the related literature concerning the costs of connection, social movements, hashtag activism, and collective identity. Finally, it concludes with a discussion reflecting on the role of digital colonialism and the power of Facebook.

This thesis looks into the online news representation of the #MeToo movement, started by actress Alyssa Milano in October 2017, in the two biggest German newspapers, Süddeutsche Zeitung and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung between October 2017 and January 2017. The purpose of this study is to examine how the online editorial departments of the two biggest German newspapers frame and represent sexual harassment in the light of #MeToo. Additionally, I want to determine how the news coverage developed from when Harvey Weinstein first was accused of sexual misconduct in October 2017, touching upon the occurrence of the now famous hashtag roughly two weeks later and another three months later when German TV director Dieter Wedel faced similar allegations. To do so, I conducted a Critical Discourse Analysis of 19 online newspaper articles. The analysis is divided into three parts: Text level, discursive practice and social practice. Resulting from the analysis, one can see that sexual harassment in Germany still is not recognised as an issue of gender inequality but rather a matter of individual responsibility and systemic structures in certain industries, especially when German stakeholders are involved.

This thesis aims to examine how online engagement in the #NotMyBattlefield campaign can be understood as an online harassment campaign and a continuation of the Gamergate controversy. Research has shown that Gamergate was appropriated by external political groups, such as the Alt-Right. The Alt-Right is known to be highly adept in media manipulation, executing deliberate framing strategies as a means to push political agendas and gain influence online (Blodgett, 2020, p. 187; O’Donnell, 2019, p. 10). The group's appropriation of Gamergate and gaming culture is highly indicative of the politicisation of gaming culture. The aim of this research is twofold. First, an overarching content analysis seeks to analyse the rhetoric arguments and thematic patterns found in conjunction with the hashtag #NotMyBattlefield on Twitter. Secondly, this thesis employs an adapted version of Burgess and Matamoros-Fernández (2016) method of issue mapping. The purpose of this mapping is to analyse the campaign’s relationship to prominent actors within online media, as well as to examine the structure and patterns the campaign followed. The combined results of the content analysis and issue mapping reveal how the #NotMyBattlefield can be understood as a continuation of Gamergate, influenced by Alt-Right ideologies. They bare similarities in the way feminism and political correctness are painted out to be instigators of an attack on gaming culture.Furthermore, the results also reveal how such campaigns are primarily reactionary - only showing increased levels of activity in response to external factors and events. At no point in time did the campaign show any indications of self-sustained motivation or engagement. The results of this thesis further signify the politicisation of gaming culture. The influence of external forces, such as the Alt-Right, signifies a need for further research in order to gain a better understanding of how to circumvent and prevent the radicalisation of gaming.

This thesis explores the role of social media in communal coping. Specifically, it explores the role of Twitter in the communal coping with stressors affecting a global population due to the COVID-19 pandemic disease, with the purpose of answering the main research question: How is Twitter being used as a platform for online coping with the common stressor of involuntary teleworking from home during a pandemic? Through a mixed methods analysis of Twitter content collected from two weeks in April 2020, this thesis examines how Tweeters are connecting with each other through the hashtag #workfromhome in order to cope with stressors involved with working remotely from their homes. Using sensitized concepts from theoretical frameworks and prior studies of coping, a hermeneutic approach to social science was adopted in the research. Qualitative and quantitative content analysis was performed in several rounds of iterative process coding. The results of this thesis suggest that in the context of COVID-19 Tweeting is itself part of the coping process. Further, online coping strategies can first and foremost be recognized as communal. In answer to the main research question, Twitter is being used as a platform for communal coping orientation, communication about the stressor, and cooperative action. With the changing nature of work and the ongoing uncertainty concerning the long-term implications of COVID-19, the direction of this thesis and its findings may assist organizations and stakeholders alike in understanding the impact of involuntary remote work on individuals. Lastly, the findings open up new opportunities for research within the field of studying online coping efforts.