In 2020, 89% of Internet users in Sweden used social media and young women reported the highest frequency of use. Through a qualitative approach, the aim was to gain an understanding of young women's experiences of their social media use and online self-presentation. The participants were women between the ages of 18-23 years. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis, which resulted in three main themes: Another reality, It Will Probably Get Better And Between The Own Will Of Being Sexy And The Pressure To Be So. The results showed that young women present their ideal-selves, that likes were a controlling mechanism and comparisons online were perceived to be endless. Furthermore, it was described that young women's bodies are presented on the basis of the ideals and the pressure to have the ideal body was perceived to be constantly present on social media. However, there were also experiences of a more positive wave emerging on social media, which is instead characterized by acceptance of one's own and other women's bodies. Finally, an ambivalence was captured in the participants to, on the one hand, want to share sexually challenging images of themselves, and, on the other hand, feel pressure from others to do so. / År 2020 använde 89% av internetanvändarna i Sverige sociala medier och unga kvinnor rapporterade högst användningsfrekvens. Genom en kvalitativ ansats var syftet att få en ökad förståelse för unga kvinnors upplevelser av sin sociala medieanvändning och framställning online. Deltagarna var kvinnor i åldrarna 18-23 år. Sju semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes och analyserades utifrån tematisk analys, vilket resulterade i tre huvudteman: En annan verklighet, Det blir nog bättre samt Mellan den egna viljan och pressen på att vara sexig. Resultaten visade att unga kvinnor framställer sig utifrån sina bästa sidor, att likes var en styrande mekanism och jämförelser online upplevdes vara oändliga. Vidare beskrevs att unga kvinnors kroppar framställs utifrån idealen och kroppshetsen upplevdes vara konstant närvarande på sociala medier. Däremot fanns även upplevelser av en mer positiv våg som tar sig fram på sociala medier, vilken istället kännetecknades av acceptans gentemot sin egen och andra kvinnors kroppar. Avslutningsvis fångades en ambivalens hos deltagarna att å ena sidan själva vilja dela med sig av sexuellt utmanande bilder, å andra sidan känna en press från andra att göra det.

Ungdomars beteende styrs av attityder, subjektiva normer och upplevd kontroll och utifrån omgivningen regleras beteendet för att skapa intryck som platsar i olika sociala interaktioner. Ungdomar presenteras sig olika beroende på sammanhang och utför olika strategier för att bli accepterade och känna tillhörighet. I dag är Instagram en gemensam plattform där ungdomar kan interagera med varandra via och eftersom det erbjuds bland annat publicering, delning och arkivering av bilder inleds en process till ett förlängt jag. Studien har syftat till att undersöka vilka strategier som ungdomar i åldrarna 13-16 i dag använder i sin självpresentation på Instagram för att uppnå tillhörighet. För att uppnå syftet med studien skapades en teorisyntes för att kunna kartlägga deras strategiska självpresentationer. Denna utgår från Theory of planned behavior, Erving Goffmans dramaturgiska samhällssyn, Jones och Pittmans självpresentationsstrategier och Russell Belks teori kring det förlängda jaget. I vår fallstudie genomfördes en fokusgrupp och fyra individuella intervjuer samt en bildanalys som alla hade utgångspunkt i teorisyntesen. Undersökningarna genomfördes för att ge svar på hur ungdomars beteende ser ut på Instagram och hur de använder applikationen för att presentera sig själva genom publicering av bilder. Resultatet visade att ungdomar i dag använder flera olika strategier för att presentera sig själva på Instagram. Den mest förekommande strategin är självfrämjan och i vissa fall använder de även insmickran och föregå med gott exempel. De vill lyfta fram egenskaperna av att vara kompetenta, sympatiska och moraliskt värdiga och utifrån detta publicerar de bilder på sig själva, sina kompisar och aktiviteter som föreslår just detta. / The behavior of adolescents is controlled by attitudes, subjective norms and perceived control, and they generate different impressions based on their environment to fit into their different social interactions. Adolescents present themselves different depending on their relations and alternate their strategies to do so in order to fit in and feel accepted. Today Instagram is a common platform for interaction between adolescents and because it offers publication, sharing and storing of images a process of creating an extended self occurs. The purpose of this study is to examine which strategies adolescents between the ages 13-16 use in their presentation of self on Instagram to achieve their sense of belonging. To accomplish this purpose we created a theoretical synthesis in order to map their strategic self-presentation. This synthesis is based on the Theory of planned behavior, Ervin Goffman’s concept of dramaturgy, Jones and Pitman’s self-presentation strategies and Russell Belk’s theory of the extended self. With this as a base in our case study we held a focus group and four individual interviews followed by a picture analysis. These enquiries were carried out with the purpose of answering how adolescents act on Instagram and how they use this application in their self-presentation via images. The result indicates that adolescents, today, use several different strategies in their presentation of self on Instagram. The strategy that is most prone to be used is self-promotion followed by ingratiation and exemplification. They want to highlight their capability to be competent, appealing and morally worthy and they publish pictures of themselves, their friends and their activities based on that.

This study investigates how power relations were negotiated and expressed through the use of certain linguistic practices in a public context. More specifically, it looks closer at how job applicants presented themselves publically through newspaper advertisements and which discursive codes they made use of to portray themselves as reputable, desirable employees that fit into the bourgeois concept of respectability. The survey accordingly moves within the theoretical frameworks of the respectability discourse, altering power relations, self-presentation and the public sphere, and does so through the application of linguistic methods on a very specific material not commonly looked at from these macro-perspectives. The first part of the analysis identifies which specific social groups that used the press as a channel for self-presentation, focusing on the aspects of gender, marital status, work experience and occupational title. Through establishing this information, we reach an understanding of who can be ascribed an active participation in the public sphere and where to place these individuals along the social scale. Thereafter, the vocabulary of the advertisers is scrutinized and compared to see how strategies to create an air of respectability around yourself may have differed with the personal aspects mentioned above. Conclusively, the results from these enquiries serve as the basis for a larger discussion on whether the assertive self-promotion of the job advertisers can be interpreted as a self-empowerment among a section of London’s labourers, or whether the publication of the adverts rather is to be seen as a consolidation of already existing power relationships. The findings prove that through their strict adherence to the concept of respectability in a desire to win the favour of their social superiors, the linguistic strategies of the adverts cannot be interpreted as an early form of working class-movement with the intention of overthrowing the social order. On the contrary, the hierarchical structure of the 18th century was as present as ever when society moved towards the next centenary and was consolidated even further by the linguistic strategies of the advertisers.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This reflexive narrative traces the development of the author’s authentic leadership fingerprint. The document outlines the author’s developmental journey from the streets of North-End in Port Elizabeth, to the boardroom tables of major telecommunications organisations in Africa, Continental United States and Europe. Utilising autoethnography as a vehicle of enquiry, the author relates his life story, with a specific focus on significant trigger events, individuals who had a positive or negative influence on the development of his world view; and the dynamic of a racially reclassified family living in Apartheid-era South Africa. The author recounts specific incidents and reflects upon significant learnings that continue to influence his leadership style as corporate manager today. The author concludes with a reflection of the transformative power of the autoethnographic process and it’s potential use as a leadership development tool, before defining an authentic leadership fingerprint that is unique to his management style. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie persoonlik reflekterende dokument weerspieël hoe die deurlopende ontwikkeling en persoonlike groei van die outeur se leierseienskappe verfyn is deur sy lewenservaringe en ondervinding. Die roete wat die outeur in sy persoonlike omstandighede moes onderneem om die oorbrugging, vanuit Port Elizabeth se noordelike voorstede, tot in die beheer van vergaderings in raadsale van een van Suid-Afrika, die VSA asook Europa se voorste telekommunikasiespelers te bemeester. Met behulp van outoetnografie, koppel en vereenselwig die outeur die ontwikkeling van sy lewensverhaal met spesifieke gebeurtenisse, positief sowel as negatief, asook met die individue wat ‘n moontlike impak gehad het op sy uitkyk op die lewe sowel as die leierseienskappe wat die outeur vandag in sy daaglikse lewe so suksesvol weerspieël en implimenteer. Die dokument raak ook aan die historiese rasse klassifikasie en apartheidswette van Suid-Afrika en watter impak dit op die outeur se familielewe asook persoonlike opvoeding en ontwikkeling gehad het. Die proporsionele bydrae van hierdie eksterne insette soos vergestalt deur staatsregulasies en diskriminasie word bespreek met spesifieke verwysing na die invloed wat dit gehad het op die ontwikkeling van die outeur as leier en watter impak dit moontlik kon gehad het met verwysing tot die outeur as leier en bestuurder soos wat spanlede en mense in sy daaglikse lewe hom ervaar. Die outeur sluit af met ‘n oorsig gefokus op die moontlike impak wat ‘n outoetnografie proses op verandering in ‘n werkshoedanigheid kan hê met betrekking tot die moontlike insluiting in die leierskap onwikkelingsproses van maatskappye. Die klem val op die ontwikkeling van die toekomstige leier en hoe die outoetnografie proses ‘n roete of handleiding kan verskaf vir die omskrywing van die leier se individuele en unieke styl van leierskap.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The concept of the self or subject is more relevant now than ever, since society’s perceptions about selfhood are in the process of changing. Autobiography is an important site for the critical discussion of issues surrounding the subject – such as truth, identity formation and agency – seeing that it is one of the most revealing spaces in which these altering perceptions manifest. As can be deduced from the title of my thesis, FICTION, FRICTION AND FRACTURE: Autobiographic Novels as a Site For Changing Discourses Around Subjectivity, Truth and Identity, I explore what autobiographic novels disclose about the notions truth, self-representation and identity formation that emerge from an investigation of the subject. Poststructuralism and feminism have been instrumental in destabilizing the notion of a unified subject as well as any concept that makes universal claims. Throughout this thesis I will be applying poststructuralist and feminist theories around subjectivity to my work as well as the work of a selection of autobiographic novelists, namely Robert Crumb, Dan Clowes, Art Spiegelman and Chris Ware. When referring to autobiographic novels I will be applying Leigh Gilmore’s term autobiographics. Autobiographics introduces a way of thinking about life narrative that focuses on the changing discourses of truth and identity that feature in autobiographical representations of selfhood. I will be utilizing Gilmore’s term since it so neatly encompasses the concepts that I will be investigating. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die konsep van die self of subjek is nou meer as ooit relevant siende dat die samelewing se persepsies omtrent die subjek tans ’n transformasie ondergaan. Outobiografie is ’n belangrike platform vir die kritiese bespreking van idees wat uit besprekings van die subjek vloei – soos waarheid, identiteits konstruksie en agentskap – aangesien die genre ’n duidelike refleksie van die veranderende persepsies lewer. Soos afgelei kan word uit die titel van my skripsie FICTION, FRICTION AND FRACTURE: Autobiographic Novels as a Site For Changing Discourses Around Subjectivity, Truth and Identity, beoog ek om vas te stel wat autobiografiese romans blootlê in terme van konsepte soos waarheid, self-voorstelling en identiteitskonstruksie wat uit die ondersoek rondom die subjek na vore kom. Poststrukturalisme en feminisme speel beide ‘n belangrike rol in die destabilisering van die uniformige subjek asook enige ander konsep wat aanspraak tot enige universiële veronderstellings maak. Ek plaas poststrukturalistiese en feministiese teorie rondom subjektiwiteit deurlopend op my werk, asook the werk van die outobiografiese kunstenaars Robert Crumb, Dan Clowes, Art Spiegelman en Chris Ware toe. Wanneer ek na autobiografiese romans verwys, verwys ek spesifiek na Leigh Gilmore se term autobiografies. Gilmore se interpretasie behels ‘n begrip van outobiografie wat fokus op die veranderende diskoerse van waarheid en identiteit wat in outobiografiese voorstellings van die self voorkom. Ek beoog om haar term te gebruik aangesien dit die konsepte waarna ek kyk duidelik omvat.

Thesis(MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The first part of this thesis discusses some of the problematic photographic practices that form part of the modern visual discourse employed in defining the representation of the black man in South African photography. The aim of this thesis is to critically investigate the visual discourse in contemporary South African photography and to outline the inherent flaws whereby the black male subject is represented according to racial stereotypes inherited from the photographic conventions of colonial discourse. The purpose of this is to investigate my own photographic practice by drawing a critical comparison with the works of German photographer Gustav Theodor Fritsch (b.1834-1927), South African photographers Alfred Martin Duggan-Cronin (b.1874-1954), the Caney brothers (1844-1899), Steve Hilton-Barber (b.1962-2002), Pieter Hugo (b.1976-), Zanele Muholi (b.1972-) and Zwelethu Mthethwa (b.1960-), and Nigerian-born British photographer Rotimi Fani-Kayode (b.1955-1989). My argument is centred around the discussion of these photographer’s works and the visual impact on the manner in which the black subject is portrayed as a ‘noble savage’. The predominant visual representation of the black body in South African photography perpetuates the kinds of discourse that rely on anthropological photographic methods of representation. I argue that where the depiction of the black male body is concerned, a number of contemporary South African photographers mentioned in this thesis continue to unconsciously appropriate a colonial discourse wherein the body of the black man is cast in the exotic role of ‘noble savage’ with extreme attributes regarding sex and gender, either as extremely ‘effeminate’ or, alternatively, as ‘hyper-masculine’ and exuding a ‘raw’ sexual prowess (Read, 1996:64). The work that I create and my photographic practices utilise some of the abovementioned artists’ problematical visual devices in order to subvert them but also to create an alternate perception of black representation. In the second chapter of this thesis, I critically evaluate the work of Rotimi Fani-Kayode as a strategy to employ alternate means of visual representation of the black body in order to critically re-evaluate the work of contemporary South African artists in their depiction of the black male body through either studio photography or documentary photography. The aim is to point out imaginative forms of representation as an alternative to either of the two modes of photography mentioned above. The argument then aims to put emphasis on acts of imaginative self-representation, a contemporary mode in photographic art practice made popular by Rotimi Fani-Kayode. Imaginative self-representation involves “the ritualistic transformation of the colonial imagery into creations of our own” as black artists in order to subvert the dominant discourses on representations of the black body (Fani-Kayode, 1997:6). This is just one of the important strategies used by the artists mentioned in this thesis to critique black sexuality. My works and practices draw their influence from the discourses that dominate the contemporary discourse on the representation of the black body. My argument looks at stereotypical forms of photographic practice and critiques the problematical construct of such representations of black male sexuality. The purpose is to expose some of the Western principles that seek to regulate and control the black body. My own practice focuses on creating works of art that form part of my cultural and historical background. Sexuality and gender are discussed in the third part of this thesis as a means to outline my own photographic practice and its influences. The third chapter investigates the masculinity of the black subject through a discussion of sexuality and gender performativity. In this chapter, gender proves to be a performative, unlike some of the essentialist assumptions made about how sexuality and gender are unchanging. A visual mechanism that seeks to critically question racist representations of black sexuality such as drag and performativity is applied in the construction of affirmative imagery of black masculinity. The final chapter of the thesis focuses on my own work as an example of imaginative forms of self-representation. The first, second and third parts of the argument serve to provide a theoretical framework in which to situate my own practice. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis bespreek van die problematiese fotografiepraktyke wat deel uitmaak van die visuele diskoers waarvolgens die swart man in Suid-Afrikaanse fotografie uitgebeeld word. Die doel van die tesis is die kritiese ondersoek van die visuele diskoers in kontemporêre Suid-Afrikaanse fotografie, en die blootlegging van die inherente leemtes waarin die swart manlike subjek uitgebeeld word volgens rassestereotipes wat uit fotografie gebruike van die koloniale diskoers spruit. Die oogmerk is om my eie fotografiese praktyk te verken deur ’n kritiese vergelyking te tref met die werk van die Duitse fotograaf Gustav Theodor Fritsch (b.1834–1927); die Suid-Afrikaners Alfred Martin Duggan-Cronin (b.1874-1954), die Caneybroers (1844-1899), Steve Hilton-Barber (b.1962-2002), Pieter Hugo(b.1976-), Zanele Muholi (b.1972-) en Zwelethu Mthethwa (b.1960-), en die Britse fotograaf Rotimi Fani- Kayode (1955-1989), ’n Nigeriër van geboorte. ). My argument is gesentreer rondom die bespreking van hierdie fotograaf se werke en die visuele impak op die wyse waarop die swart onderwerp word uitgebeeld as 'n 'edel barbaar ". Die visuele voorstelling van die swart liggaam in Suid-Afrikaanse fotografie is hoofsaaklik ’n voortsetting van die soort diskoerse wat op antropologiese fotografiese uitbeeldingsmetodes berus. Ek voer aan dat, wat die uitbeelding van die swart manlike liggaam betref, ’n paar kontemporêre Suid-Afrikaanse fotograwe wat in hierdie tesis ter sprake kom, steeds onbewustelik ’n koloniale diskoers handhaaf wat die eksotiese rol van ‘edel barbaar’ met uiterste geslags- en genderkenmerke – hetsy uiters ‘vroulik’ of ‘hipermanlik’ met ’n ‘rou’ seksuele manhaftigheid (Read, 1996:64) – aan die swart man toeken. In my eie werk en fotografiepraktyke het ek van bogenoemde kunstenaars se problematiese visuele middele gebruik gemaak, nie net om dit bloot te lê nie, maar ook om ’n alternatiewe opvatting van ‘swart’ uitbeelding te skep. In die tweede hoofstuk van die tesis gebruik ek alternatiewe metodes om die swart liggaam visueel uit te beeld in ’n kritiese herbeoordeling van die werk van kontemporêre Suid- Afrikaanse kunstenaars wat die swart manlike liggaam deur hetsy ateljeefotografie of dokumentêre fotografie voorstel. Sodoende verskuif die klem na verbeeldingryke vorme van uitbeelding as alternatief vir bogenoemde twee vorme van fotografie. Daarná val die soeklig op handelinge van verbeeldingryke selfvoorstelling – ’n kontemporêre metode in fotografiese kunspraktyk wat deur Rotimi Fani-Kayode gewild gemaak is. Verbeeldingryke selfvoorstelling behels “die rituele transformasie van koloniale beelde tot ons eie skeppings” as swart kunstenaars, ten einde die oorheersende diskoerse oor die uitbeelding van die swart liggaam omver te werp (Fani-Kayode, 1997:6). Dít is bloot een van die belangrike strategieë wat die kunstenaars in hierdie tesis gebruik om op swart seksualiteit kritiek te lewer. My werk en praktyk word beïnvloed deur die oorheersende kontemporêre diskoerse oor die voorstelling van die swart liggaam. In my argument bestudeer ek stereotiepe vorme van fotografiese praktyk, en lewer ek kritiek op die problematiese konstruk van sodanige voorstellings van swart manlike seksualiteit. Sodoende word sommige van die Westerse beginsels wat die swart liggaam wil reguleer en beheer aan die lig gebring. My eie praktyk konsentreer op die produksie van kunswerke wat deel uitmaak van my kulturele en historiese agtergrond. Deel 3 van die tesis ondersoek seksualiteit en gender ten einde my eie fotografiepraktyk, én die faktore wat dit beïnvloed, te omskryf. Die derde hoofstuk ondersoek die manlikheid van die swart subjek deur ’n bespreking van seksualiteit en gender performatiwiteit. Uit hierdie hoofstuk blyk dit dat gender as performatief verskil van die essensialistiese aannames oor die onveranderlike aard van seksualiteit en gender. Visuele meganismes om rassistiese voorstellings van swart seksualiteit te bevraagteken, soos fopdossery en performatiwiteit, word toegepas in die konstruksie van bevestigende beelde van swart manlikheid. Die laaste hoofstuk van die tesis konsentreer op my eie werk as voorbeeld van verbeeldingryke vorme van selfvoorstelling. Gesamentlik dien die drie dele van die argument as teoretiese raamwerk waarin my eie praktyk geplaas kan word.

Diploma thesis deals with semiotics of advertising media campaigns of sport clubs AC Sparta Praha and HC Sparta Praha in the season 2013/2014. Both of the clubs celebrated an anniversary this season: AC Sparta Praha celebrated 120 years since its foundation, HC Sparta Praha celebrated 110 years. That was a reason why media campaigns were intensive and referred to the glorious history of the clubs. The Diploma thesis research is focused on meanings encoded into the campaigns and attempts to find out which verbal and non-verbal signs create the term "Sparta". The Author tries to find out if there is the same semiotic base for both clubs which operate with the same name and elementary signs. Diploma thesis defines contemporary "myth of Sparta" in Czech sport area. Theoretical part occupies with contemporary status of sport in the society, analytical part deals with the media campaigns of both clubs from semiotic perspective.

This study explores the phenomenon of personalization within the political sphere. More specifically, it aims at exploring the strategical personalization of Swedish party leaders during the national election campaign of 2018. A further aim is to generate theoretical contributions to the area of personalization. As empirical material, the social media updates of three party leaders are analyzed under the period of 13 weeks before the election day, using a mixed methodological approach for an in-depth qualitative study. Regarding methodologies, grounded theory and coding is employed along with a rhetorical analysis that enable a systematic analysis of visual messages. The result indicates that the studied party leaders portrayed themselves as an integrated part of society, mediating a sense of presence and acknowledgement of the voters. In addition to this, the party leaders presented themselves as ordinary people and unified with the voters. The result also points to the practice of mediating a sense of social and cultural status, involving influencers in the communication and stepping into roles outside of the explicitly political arena. In terms of theoretical contributions, the generated theory contributes in the sense that it offers additional dimensions to the notion of "self-presentation", which is recognized as a common theme among prior theories. According to prior theories, individual politicians presents themselves as professional politicians and ordinary human beings. While the generated theory supports this perspective, it also highlights the aspect of intentionally integrating the voters into the self-presentations of individual politicians. Moreover, the generated theory emphasizes the perspective of social and cultural significance when regarding self-presentations of representatives.

Online dating is a popular phenomenon in the world. Since the main motivation for individuals to use online dating services is finding a partner, the communication strategies for the users to develop a relationship via online dating services and the different communication practices between online and offline dating are thought-provoking. This research aims to answer two research questions: what the communication strategies for online daters of Soul are and what the differences between online and offline dating for users of Soul, including communication practices are. These two research questions aim to increase the possibility of having a successful online dating and provide a deep insight into online dating. Based on the theoretical frameworks of uncertainty reduction theory, social information processing theory, and the hyperpersonal communication, this research interviewed 11 Chinese online daters in the application, Soul and observed their online activities. As a result, this research finds that when encounter with the potential partners, individuals will actively seek information to reduce their uncertainty. The most effective way is interrogation while the most common way is observing personal account. During the information-seeking process, the similarities including interests and hobbies are important. Self-presentation strategies contain the planning strategy, editing strategy, and the strategy of adaptation to the characteristics of the partner. Besides information seeking strategies and self-presentation strategies, individuals also use the long-term arrangement strategy. The differences between online and offline dating contain three aspects: communication practices of information processing (including information processing, communication patterns as well as communication attitudes), the imagined others through online dating communication and different social norms.

Yiguan is a new-emerging mobile application which is popular in China. Different from the traditional social media, Yiguan enables users to have interaction and communications anonymously online. Compared to other anonymous social media, Yiguan is nether proximity-based nor tie-based. The identity of Yiguan users can be completely anonymous. Users will not have a personal profile and home pages on Yiguan. Anonymity makes it possible that users wear masks when they present themselves and interact with others. It is possible for them to get rid of the constraint, escaping from repetitive everyday life. This thesis based on the empirical qualitative research, conduct an audience analysis on Yiguan’s users. I’d like to explore what users do on Yiguan and how they utilize the space of Yiguan. This thesis wishes to identify the activities of users on Yiguan, and explore the characteristics of user’s activities. Combing the critical theories from Mead, Goffman, and Walther, this thesis will provide a vivid sketch of users on Yiguan.