Orientalism was a term developed by post-colonial theorist Edward Said to describe the ways in which Europeans, or the West, portrayed the Orient as inferior, uncivilized, and wholly anti-Western. Netflix Inc., the world’s largest subscription-based streaming service, which as of 2018, expanded its streaming venue to over 190 countries globally, is the wellspring of knowledge for many people. Through the multimodal critical discourse analysis of 6 Netflix films and television programmes (Stateless, Gods of Egypt, Messiah, Al Hayba, Sand Castle, and Fauda) the study examines the extent to which the streaming giant is culpable in the reproduction of Orientalist discourses of power, i.e., discourses which facilitate the construction of the stereotyped Other. The results have shown that Netflix strengthens, through the dissemination and distribution of symbols and messages to the general population, the domination and authority over society and its political, economic, cultural, and ideological domains. Using Norman Fairclough’s approach to critical discourse analysis combined with a social semiotic perspective, this study endeavours to design a comprehensive methodological and theoretical framework which can be utilized by future researchers to analyse and critique particular power dynamics within society by exposing the dominant ideological world-view distortions which reinforce oppressive structures and institutional practices.

This thesis examines how 'othering' discourse can be used to construct and negotiate boundaries and shape collective identities within online spaces. Through a mixed-method approach of thematic analysis and a netnographic study, and by drawing on theoretical concepts of online othering and identity formation, this thesis explores how the Gamergate community r/KotakuInAction can be understood in relation to Gamergate, the Alt-Right and society at large. The results show that the community perceive and construct the SJW as a common adversary – a monstrous representation of feminism, progressiveness and political correctness. The analysis also revealed how racist rhetorics and white male anxieties characterize the communitys' othering discourse. Through an in-depth study of user-submitted comment, this thesis argues that r/KotakuInAction's collective identity is fluid and reactionary in nature, characterized by a discourse that is indicative of Alt-Right ideology and white male supremacy. Future research should further explore the network of communities that r/KotakuInAction is part of, as well as examine how the community transform over time.

The aim of this study is to investigate how moral issues surrounding one of the lengthiest environmental conflicts – the Canadian seal hunt controversy - were communicated by two Canadian mainstream newspapers: the national Globe and Mail, and the Newfoundland-based The Telegram in 2009, the year in which the European Union banned the import of all seal products on the basis of a moral standard relating to the welfare of animals. At a general level, the purpose of this work is to examine how the news media construe and convey environmental ethical positions when dealing with complicated environmental issues. To this end, this thesis draws from media framing theory to implement a qualitative linguistic analysis of the 99 news articles to analyze how seals and sealers – the two main subjects of moral worth in this controversy – were framed in the two newspapers. The analysis found that seals were predominantly framed in accordance with their perceived social and economic benefit, largely overlooking animal welfare considerations. Sealers, on the other hand, tended to be portrayed as people of moral rectitude and brave seafarers, with a concomitant onus placed on the cultural and economic importance of sealing for Northerners. The findings corroborate claims that our perceptions of animal species, especially those which are considered wildlife, and the type of our relationship with them vary in accordance with human utility. At the same time, these perceptions are influenced by the social and cultural aspects of humans' relationship with the environment that may trump considerations of animal welfare and compassion toward sentient animals. Seen in the perspective of environmental ethics debate, the seal hunt controversy reveals the current lack of consensus on determining the most sound ethical principle in order to ensure our treatment of the environment is morally consistent. As the seal hunt controversy is not a standalone phenomenon of the protest based in animal welfare considerations, this thesis can be of value for the future research of comparable environmental controversies. Reconciling antagonistic environmental ethics is important for environmental policy-making and management, in order to ensure a greater and more productive stakeholder participation in solving environmental issues more effectively, while at the same realizing our moral obligations towards the animal world and the rest of the nature.

The ability of media to create powerful images, which shape how readers understand certain issues, is very important, especially when linked to questions regarding the attitude towards the Other. This study focuses on a problem which has not been sufficiently addressed by researchers so far – how unaccompanied minors from Afghanistan are constructed in Swedish media. Using Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis in combination with postcolonial theory, eight news pieces were selected from two of Sweden’s leading newspapers; Aftonbladet and Expressen, in order to provide a deeper understanding of the discourses underpinning these constructions. Thus, this paper finds that the media coverage of the group is often negative and conflict-centered, framing the unaccompanied minors as either suspected liars or criminals which further contributes to the polarization between “Us” and “Them” in the Swedish society. Framing unaccompanied minors in this way, Aftonbladet and Expressen can contribute to the (re)production of stereotypes, affect public opinion and influence political decision and action regarding the group.

Stereotypes and threatening images are present in much of our modern entertainment media often going unnoticed for the effects they may have on society. One media which is relatively new and unexplored when it comes to these stereotypes and images of threat is the video game media. This thesis explores how stereotypes are created and maintained within video games and how securitization efforts affect entertainment media, in order to pursue these aims the game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) is analysed with a content analysis built on the theories of othering and securitization, in order to see how the Russians are portrayed within the game. The analysis shows that the image attached to Russians is overly negative compared to other people in the game, and the common threats which they pose is going to war with the West. Based on these findings, the thesis concludes that video games do reproduce securitization discourses and create stereotypes.

Racial authenticity refers to the social evaluation of an individual’s group membership based on their perceived racial similarities to or differences from their racial group. While the criteria for determining racial authenticity may be abstract and mutable, negative outcomes may still occur for individuals based on whether they are perceived as an authentic member of their racial group. Notably, perceptions of racial authenticity may be particularly salient among Black college students at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) due to competing behavioral expectations from Black students as well as non-Black students and faculty. The present study contributes to prior research on this topic through a validation and test of a novel measure of racial authenticity defined by one’s perceived racial similarities to their group (racial prototypicality) and their experiences of being mistreated by their racial group due to perceived racial differences (racial othering). Furthermore, the study elucidates racial authentication processes among Black students through an examination of how contextual factors contribute to evaluations of authentic Blackness and the extent to which racial authenticity relates to self-blame and self-esteem. Within the study, a sample of 136 Black PWI students (Mage = 20.27, SD = 4.14; 91.2% female) completed an online questionnaire. A path analysis revealed that Black students who held more negative views about their racial group (low private regard) and who had more friends of a different race experienced more stress from racial othering. Additionally, experiences of racial othering indirectly predicted self-esteem through self-blame coping. These findings have implications for understanding how perceptions of racial authenticity relate to well-being among Black PWI students. / Psychology

The integration of Ukrainian Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in host communities is as multi-dimensional as the political crisis of 2014 that led to the displacement. Having made a difficult choice to let go of their past lives to escape from the constant shelling and instability of the self-proclaimed republics, IDPs hoped to find shelter and be accepted by their fellow countrymen. While many surveys claim that Ukrainians generally seem to have tolerant attitudes towards IDPs, the findings of my study strongly indicate that quite often IDPs normalize stigmatization they face. This study employed qualitative research methods and relied on twenty-eight semi-structured in-depth interviews with internally displaced students – a group not often studied by researchers. Each interview explored issues relating to the identities of IDPs and their juxtaposition (Ukrainian, resettler and regional identity). Similar to other studies based on qualitative strategies, this research has its limitations, stemming from difficulties to extract opinions that would not be tainted by the desire to fit into a particular narrative or match perceived expectations. While researchers can attempt to remain unbiased and be aware of their subconscious beliefs, we cannot be certain that what interviewees share with us is what they sincerely believe. Nevertheless, taking into account these limitations, qualitative studies are essential for understanding the experiences of Ukrainian IDPs. While more research is needed to get to the roots of the issues surrounding the unique challenges of IDPs’ integration, this thesis makes a step to analyze what causes stigmatization of Ukrainian IDPs, how IDPs choose to respond to the stigma, what kind of strategies they use to manage it, how they interact with locals in the host communities and what are the consequences of such stigmatization. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Disparities between regions in Sweden and the EU have been discussed in different fields throughout the years. Norrland, which is the northernmost region of Sweden, has long been recognised as being disadvantaged in comparison to the rest of the country and could be argued to have been peripheralised for centuries. The inland of Norrland is described to be even more affected by these disparities. One of the counties in the inland of Norrland is Jämtland county. The aim of this thesis was to explore how planners and other relevant actors involved in strategic planning and regional development in Jämtland portray possibilities and challenges with planning and how they described their action space in relation to the urban norm and peripheralisation. The results show that there are differences in the municipalities' self-identity regarding whether they describe themselves to be in a weaker or stronger position within the county, both in relation to strategic planning and development, but also to what extent they define themselves as peripheral and affected by the urban norm. This indicates that there is an ongoing peripheralisation process also within Jämtland county, where some municipalities are trying to assert their position as stronger while the others are feeling blamed for creating their own problems. The municipalities want to create attractiveness which could be argued to be a way of them trying to counteract the consequences of peripheralisation.

Purpose- The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships between space, non-whiteness, embodied experiences and related perceptions, establishing reality connections for the participants in this matter. One notion that collides with the unrestricted individuality of these subjects, who are perceived as being outsiders to the Swedish norm, is the concept of Othering. The general aim is to gain a deeper understanding about the complexities of these women's experiences as of them being perceived as Others. Originality/value- This research adds to previous research by focussing on the understanding of the self as crucial in processes of Othering and by highlighting how hegemonic discourses construct an imagined national identity. Further, the abstract concept and sensation of segregation, feeling Othered and experiencing boundaries while moving around in a city are complex phenomena that will be examined in relation to urban spaces. Design/methodology/approach- The research study scope was chosen to be qualitative research approach in order to explore and identify variables that cannot be measured easily, in this case experiences and emotions, since predetermined information and literature and relying on other studies did not seem sufficient for this topic. In an attempt to capture the interpersonal and embodied experiences taken up by daughters of immigrants who live in the urban landscape of Malmö, four in-depth individual interviews were conducted. Findings- The presented narratives reveal the richness of the mechanisms of exclusion through Othering as a continuous process regarding both their embodied experiences as well as interpersonal interactions. Being Othered as a daughter of immigrants, irrespective of belonging to a certain ethnic background, is not a unitary or one-dimensional experience but is rather a collectivity of cohesive experiences. These experiences furthermore are neither exclusively determined by embodied or interpersonal encounters, nor are they to be avoided through modifying their behaviour, which ultimately means that these young women are always subjects of stigmata, categorizations or assumptions about them.

Frågor som relaterar till ADHD är vanligt förekommande i den svenska samhällsdebatten. Det är därför intressant att studera hur funktionsnedsättningen visas i populärkulturen, närmare bestämt i film. Uppsatsens syfte var att synliggöra hur representationen av ADHD kan se ut i film med utgångspunkt i andrafiering. Detta gjordes genom att analysera de tre filmerna, The Selfish Giant (2013), Så jävla easygoing (2022) och Charlie Bartlett (2007). Detta då samtliga hade en huvudkaraktär med ADHD. Uppsatsens tankesätt och struktur utgick i stort från Fiskes (1984) binära oppositioner. Resultaten av analysen visade att ADHD andrafieras i film. Samtliga av de karaktärer med ADHD som analyserades hade problem med sociala normer, dysfunktionella familjer och hamnade lätt i brottslighet. Deras funktion i filmerna var även att utveckla andra karaktärer snarare än sig själva.