This dissertation investigates the diverse practices of sexting within the context of youth culture in South Africa. There is not yet a clear consensus on the definition of “sexting”, but in this case, it is understood as sending and receiving messages or images via social media that have sexual content, especially nude photographs. This research focuses on young heterosexual people in Cape Town from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, exploring their motives and practices within the context of sexting. In this study 28 individuals aged 13 to 21 participated in in-depth, open-ended interviews which produced qualitative data. This research identifies and combines the theoretical works of Erving Goffman’s (1959) impression management theory and Marcel Mauss’s (1969) theory of gift-giving as lenses through which to study sexting. Both theories are still relevant due to the enduringly performative nature of social interactions. The data garnered from this study confirms that the rules of impression management and reciprocity and exchange apply in the era of social media in that sexting is a practice of social exchange whereby participants try to create the best possible persona, in order to form and secure relationships. Young people negotiate social obligations, status and power in a gendered society in relation to gift-exchange and reciprocity on mobile devices. The study further highlights that although sexism exists in this sphere of society, and sexting practices are fraught with gender inequities and double standards, young women are fighting to maintain a favourable online persona, by countering the derogatory term ‘fuck-boy’. Currently South African law prohibits sexting amongst minors, punishable as a crime. This dissertation argues that young people are motivated by pleasure and pressure to sext; excluding them from the public sphere of social media or trying to control their online sexual practice, is unlikely to prevent harm. Furthermore, humiliating or punishing minors for engaging in sexual activity online could be harmful in itself.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-136). / This thesis considers the constructions of discourses of masculinities by contemporary South African men's lifestyle magazines, and examines the extent to which they are simply mainstream promulgators of 'old school' patriarchy and soft porn, or the ways in which they offer new and complex models of modem masculinity. The thesis further examines whether local men's lifestyle magazines perhaps represent a unique synthesis within masculine discourses? This study explores how a new understanding of the discourses of masculinity can help to explain the commonly held assumption that masculinity is in 'crisis'. The post-structuralist study explores the discourses through textual analysis, employing a social semiotic and Critical Discourse Analysis multimodal approach which links the social with the representational. The study concentrates its analysis on the most prevalent discourses in the text. The research takes the form of the textual analysis of four articles taken from prominent South African men's lifestyle magazines. In response to suggestions that no generalised 'crisis' in masculinity exists because patriarchy is still very much intact, this thesis suggests that appreciating identity as self-reflexive provides a different understanding of the anxiety surrounding contemporary masculinity. Gender as a self-reflexive project allows the self to be constructed from a multitude of resources resulting in the apprehension of choice. This study attempts to show how the discursive space created in the discourses of masculinity in men's magazines provides the reader with an intimate, yet emotionally elusive place where the reader can navigate these ambiguities of contemporary masculinity.

If one reads a broad sample of interviews that have been conducted with South African filmmakers or film writers, then one might start to see a pattern in the types of complaints that emerge. Among these common complaints, one finds a widespread belief that the state is generally unwilling to fund certain types of films, and that contemporary South African audiences will avoid certain types of films. This dissertation explored whether the concept of Rainbowism could be adapted to theorise some reasons as to why the South African film industry seems to privilege certain narratives, whilst silencing others. A situation that is troubling when one considers South Africa's recent history. To accomplish this task, the author did a vast amount of reading on the subject of Rainbowism in general and on post-apartheid South African cinema in particular. From these numerous sources a way forward was synthesised. Rainbowism was defined in terms of myth and counter myth and its role in the creation of a new post-apartheid South African identity was also explored. Following this, South African cinema was historically contextualised and the state film-funding environment was explored. This was done in order to see the engagement between Rainbowism and the various funding bodies. It was shown that the emphasis on adapting to the post-apartheid state's neo-liberal economic policies had resulted in a situation in which film financing bodies such as the National Film and Video Foundation did not allow for audiences to grow in response to films. Rather, films had to be tailored to suit the preferences of existing audiences. This had a negative effect on those filmmakers that sought to try new things for which there might not yet have been an audience. Furthermore, it was also shown that South Africa's relatively peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy has become a feature of international co-productions; the desire to sell the idea of the rainbow nation has effected the types of engagements with the past that are displayed in these films.

Thesis: S.M. in Comparative Media Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Humanities, 2018 / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 109-112). / This thesis examines organizational practices in the field of youth online privacy in the Americas. I describe harms created by protective, universalist, individualistic approaches that pose youth as conditional citizens, and make a case for approaches based instead on youth agency, intersectional views of privacy, collective responsibility, and the recognition of youth as subjects of rights today. I demonstrate organizational practices that align with this vision, such as codesign and institutional youth involvement; particular consideration of the needs and rights of marginalized youth; actions that emphasize the role of sociotechnical structures in the defense of youth's right to privacy; the creation of opportunities for intergenerational learning; the use of advocacy frames such as harm reduction and equality; and the reliance on local and creative narratives that resonate with youth. My methods consisted of eighteen semi-structured interviews and an organizational literature review of eighteen organizations that work at the intersections of youth development, personal data protection, digital rights, and countersurveillance. / by Mariel Garcia-Montes. / S.M. in Comparative Media Studies / S.M.inComparativeMediaStudies Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Humanities

Despite the extensive literature on men and masculinities in South Africa, researchers have largely overlooked the role of digitally mediated networked publics in the coproduction and negotiation of contemporary masculinities. This dissertation attempts to fill the gap by engaging in an exploration of networked masculinities in South African Black Twitter through the analysis of two recent case studies. The first case study looks at the hashtag #MensConference, a fictional conference organised by men in opposition to Valentine's Day. The second focuses on the #MenAreTrash movement, a digital feminist campaign against gender-based violence, and men's response through the hashtag #WomenAreTrash. Employing a small data approach, this dissertation engages in a critical thematic analysis of a selection of tweets for each of the hashtags through the theoretical lens of critical masculinity studies. The dissertation takes a decolonial approach to African digital media research by examining the digital experiences of African men as sites for knowledge creation in their own right. In accordance with the notion of masculinity as multiple, fluid and discursive, the analysis uncovered a wide range of masculinity discourses on South African Twitter across a traditional-liberal spectrum. While expressions of sexism and misogyny were common throughout the sample, men also upheld alternative and progressive models of manhood. The affordances of social media provided men with a space to express themselves, but also to police and contest each other's masculinities through in-group dynamics that worked to reinforce patriarchal hegemony. The dissertation also provides insights into the role of women in shaping online discourses of masculinity by both challenging and reinforcing vii gender power structures. The findings present similarities with previous studies on networked masculinities from the Global North, for instance, in the anti-feminist resistance strategies deployed against #MenAreTrash. However, the interactions between black South African men on Twitter were defined by their specific social, economic and cultural context, with local media and consumerist culture playing a substantial role in influencing networked masculinities. Ultimately, this research demonstrates the critical role of social media, and Black Twitter in particular, as a prominent space for both the reproduction and contestation of hegemonic masculinities in South Africa. The dissertation concludes by highlighting the value of social media for researching the relational processes of co-construction and performance of contemporary South African masculinities, as well as its potential for gender justice efforts working to promote progressive masculinities in the country.

Syftet med analysen har varit att kartlägga relationer mellan mänskliga karaktärer och derasspöken i Mike Flanagans skräckserie The Haunting of Hill House (2018). Avsikten har varitatt undersöka användandet av spöken som berättarkomponent, hur många former de gestaltasi och vad de symboliserar. Analysen har avsett undersöka spökenas karaktärsfunktion utifrånsemiotiska och meningsskapande metoder, hur de interagerar med seriens narrativ och hur depåverkar de mänskliga karaktärernas utveckling. Analysen argumenterar för attt MikeFlanagan använder spöken som symboliska budbärare inom ett gestaltande ramverk, vilketkan appliceras inom andra genrer och att ge uttryck för ett gemensamt budskap. Spökenasdominanta påverkan tvingar de mänskliga karaktärerna att inse orsaken till deras existens,vilket bevisar att spökena i The Haunting of Hill House varken är människornas antagonistereller fiender; det är de själva som är det.

Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Comparative Media Studies/Writing, 2017. / This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. / "September 2017." Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 105-109). / Over the past several decades, computers have allowed for the increasingly voluminous and rapid ingest of images. These images, made for machine legibility, are called "operational images," a term coined by Harun Farocki. They are made for machines, by machines; they are not made to represent an object, but are part of an operation. Yet these operational images are only the most recent chapter in a longer history of logistical and instrumental use of images. Through the history of cartography, surveillance, and reconnaissance runs a long tale of instrumentalization, a history of calculable images primed for machine-readability. Before computers allowed for a truly "operational" image that could be harvested and interpreted independently, there were many other logistical images -- only these predecessors kept humans in the operational loop. These days, so-called deep learning allows for a new development in the operational image -- not only are humans excluded, but machines are performing inscrutable assessments; they interpret images and provide conclusions while their rationales remain opaque. These images are part of an interpretive turn. This sort of image use is difficult to demystify, confront, and confound. To contemplate effective strategies, it helps to look at the broader context of subversion of the logistical image, reaching back to early instances of artistic intervention to help inform the present and future. / by Nathan Saucier. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M. in Science Writing)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Comparative Media Studies, 2013. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 21-23). / Humans have been entranced by butterflies for thousands of years. This thesis parses apart the complex interactions between humans and butterflies, focusing specifically on people whose lifestyles are significantly intertwined with butterflies. On-site research observing butterfly collectors, breeders, museum curators, photographers and conservationists was conducted, along with historical and biological research. The effect of humans on butterflies was also analyzed, and it was discovered that enthusiasts often have unexpected impacts on butterfly populations. / by Sarah Mae Yu. / S.M.in Science Writing

Thesis (S.M. in Science Writing)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Comparative Media Studies, 2013. / Vita. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 27-30). / The next era of medicine will be one of personalization, scientists and physicians promise. Personalized medicine is a refined clinical approach in which clinicians will utilize your genomic information to help you prevent disease, and tailor targeted therapies for you when you fall ill. This is the future science has slowly been approaching. However, the human genome is not enough, not unless we can decipher its language. One ambitious study to this effect is the Personal Genome Project, led by Dr. George Church at Harvard Medical School. This project will eventually recruit 100,000 volunteers to donate their genomes and a full body of information concerning their biological health. With this data, Church hopes others can cross-analyze these profiles and better determine the role in disease of each gene of the human genome. However, the Personal Genome Project is as much a study in the ethical, legal and social aspects of genomic studies as it is an effort toward personalized medicine. Church envisions a future where privacy cannot be guaranteed. Society is becoming more open and technology is more invasive than ever. Considering this, Church has informed his participants that their information will likely not remain anonymous. With their fully informed consent, he has in turn made all this data public, to promote open science. This ethical approach raises several important questions about expansive genomic studies. The scientific community will have to decide on an approach that will eventually deliver personalized medicine. On one end of the spectrum, there is Church's open approach, and the other, more security, more firewalls and more legislation. In order for personalized medicine to become a reality, society will have to prepare itself for our ever-changing ethical, technological and scientific landscape. / by Abdul-Kareem H. Ahmed. / S.M.in Science Writing

Thesis: S.M. in Science Writing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Comparative Media Studies, 2015. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (pages 20-26). / The sense of smell is a mystery-and the human sense of smell is a particularly inscrutable one. Only in the last 25 years have scientists identified the molecules in our noses responsible for detecting odors, and since then, the unexpected discovery of a new family of olfactory detection molecules has complicated the story. When the complexities of the human brain, human motivation, and human variation are added to the mix, the question of what smells do to and for us becomes even more perplexing-and intriguing. Essayist and physician Lewis Thomas wrote that understanding the sense of smell "may not seem a profound enough problem to dominate all the life sciences, but it contains, piece by piece, all the mysteries." Scientists from all fields are coming together to solve these mysteries of olfaction, and their investigations are starting to reveal that the sense of smell can move us in ways that we aren't even always aware. While it's clear that scientists are far from closing the case on smell, it is also becoming increasingly obvious that the power of the human nose is nothing to sniff at. / by Rachel A. Becker. / S.M. in Science Writing